Why the Viral Dream Won’t Build Your Brand
Uncover the power of deep engagement and why lasting connections trump viral fame in the social media space.
In the realm of social media, one goal reigns supreme for businesses: Virality. This coveted status is often viewed as the ultimate measure of success, a KPI that many brands aspire to achieve. But beneath the surface of viral content lies a complex question: Do brands truly grasp what it means to "go viral"? Beyond the initial surge of followers, virality brings into focus a deeper discussion about the metrics that genuinely signify success on social media.
The Essence of Social Media for Brands
At its core, social media should serve as an extension of a brand's website—a vibrant showcase of identity, offerings, and a unique value proposition to an audience. At In Current Creative, we emphasize the importance of utilizing platforms like Instagram and TikTok to showcase who you are, what you have to offer, and why your audience should care. This is achieved through compelling storytelling and high-quality, short-form video content that captures the essence of your brand.
While viral content has the potential to reach a wide audience, we remind clients that there's no guarantee that this exposure targets the intended demographic or converts followers into customers. The essence of virality often lies in the content's ability to engage and entertain—attributes that don't necessarily align with a brand's target market or sales objectives.
A common oversight among brands is equating virality with direct sales success. It's a notion that bears repeating: Virality does not automatically translate to increased revenue.
At its core, social media was designed to forge connections, bringing together individuals from various backgrounds to form communities bound by common interests, beliefs, or experiences. This fundamental purpose underscores the importance of authenticity and truth in every post, story, or video shared. For brands, this means transcending the superficial layers of marketing tactics to reveal the human element behind the logo. Authenticity resonates; it turns passive scrollers into engaged participants. When a brand reveals its true self, flaws, and all, it invites users into a space of mutual trust and respect. This community-building isn't just about increasing follower counts or going viral but about creating a loyal base that feels a genuine connection to what the brand stands for.
Converting Followers into Customers
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media marketing, the allure of virality often overshadows the fundamental goals of engagement and conversion. We advise our brands to pivot their focus towards meticulously curating and nurturing their social media content to guide audiences through a conversion funnel—a cornerstone of marketing in its truest form. Social media, while serving as top-of-funnel traffic, opens the door for brands to spark interest and drive curiosity towards measurable actions, without the necessity of going viral.
The strategy hinges on the quality of engagement rather than the quantity of followers. Picture a brand with merely 200 followers; yet, if those followers are highly engaged, they hold more value than 10,000 disengaged ones. It's about cultivating a community where each member is genuinely interested in your content, leading to higher conversion rates. This focused approach ensures that your social media efforts contribute substantively to your overall marketing objectives, creating a loyal customer base driven by authentic interactions.
Brands can achieve this by delivering content that resonates with their audience's specific interests, encouraging active participation through comments, shares, and direct messages, and providing clear calls to action that guide users down the funnel. Tailoring your strategy to foster deep connections and guide followers towards conversion transcends the fleeting satisfaction of virality, laying the groundwork for sustainable growth and a robust digital presence.
Metrics That Matter
In the context of refining a social media strategy that prioritizes meaningful engagement over fleeting virality, it's crucial for brands to focus on metrics that offer genuine insights into performance. Beyond mere follower counts and likes, there are key performance indicators (KPIs) that can truly measure the impact of your efforts in building a community and driving conversions. Here's what brands should zero in on:
Engagement Rate: This metric goes beyond superficial interactions to gauge how actively involved your audience is with your content. It considers likes, comments, shares, and saves relative to your follower count, offering a clear picture of how compelling your audience finds your content.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): For content that includes a call to action (CTA), whether it's "Swipe up," "Link in bio," or direct links in Stories, the CTR tells you how many users are taking the next step. High CTRs indicate that your content successfully piques interest and prompts further exploration. (Read our blog on how we declared the traditional "Link in Bio" approach as obsolete.)
Impressions or Accounts Reached: Impressions measure how often your content is displayed, regardless of whether it was clicked or not. This metric gives insight into the visibility of your content, highlighting its reach across both followers and non-followers on the platform.
By focusing on these metrics, brands can develop a nuanced understanding of their social media strategy's effectiveness. It's not about chasing the high of virality but about cultivating a dedicated community that contributes to sustained growth and success. This approach ensures that every post, every interaction, and every piece of content is an investment in building a stronger, more engaged audience.
For businesses looking to navigate the complex landscape of social media with a strategy that prioritizes genuine connections and sustainable growth, professional social media management can be a game-changer. Inquire today to discover how our approach to social media management can help your brand authentically represent itself and achieve meaningful success beyond the fleeting allure of virality.