Beyond the Product Shots
I’ve written about this before, and it remains a vital strategy: engaging on social media requires more than just filling your feed with product shots. Simply posting images of your products, whether you're a car brand showcasing vehicles or a makeup company highlighting faces and products, is a lazy approach that clutters the internet with meaningless content. To truly engage your audience, you need to go beyond the product, tell a story, evoke emotions, and sell a vision.
Content, Not Just Ads
Social media isn't like ads in a magazine; it’s the articles that make up the content of the magazine. This means social media should not be a place to publish ads but rather to create content so good that people don’t even realise it’s an ad. It’s about blending in seamlessly with the genuine, engaging content your audience wants to see and interact with. By doing this, your brand becomes part of their daily lives rather than an interruption to it.
The Importance of Storytelling
Social media is a platform for connection and engagement. It’s about building relationships with your audience by sharing your brand’s narrative. Stories have the power to capture attention, create emotional connections, and inspire action. Instead of just showing your product, show what it represents and how it fits into your customers' lives. For example, a fitness brand could share stories of customers achieving their fitness goals, highlighting the brand's role in their journey.
Get Emotive
Emotion is a powerful tool in marketing. By tapping into the emotions of your audience, you can create a deeper connection and drive engagement. Share stories that evoke feelings of joy, inspiration, or even nostalgia. Let your audience see the human side of your brand—the struggles, the triumphs, and the values that drive you. For instance, a pet food company could share heartwarming stories of rescued animals finding forever homes, creating an emotional bond with their audience.
Sell the Vision, Your Brand: More Than Just Products
Your brand is more than just the products you sell. It embodies a vision, a lifestyle, and a set of values that resonate deeply with your audience. It's about creating an identity that people can connect with on an emotional level, fostering loyalty and engagement that goes beyond transactional relationships.
Red Bull: Selling Excitement and Energy
Take Red Bull, for example. They don’t flood their social media with images of their energy drink cans. Instead, they focus on selling a vision of action and adventure. Red Bull has positioned itself as a brand synonymous with extreme sports, thrilling events, and daring athletes. Their social media channels are filled with breathtaking videos and images of high-octane sports, from skydiving to motocross, from cliff diving to BMX stunts. By doing so, Red Bull engages its audience with a vision of excitement and energy, making the brand itself an integral part of the adventurous lifestyle they promote.
This strategy goes beyond showcasing the product—it connects the brand to an aspirational lifestyle. When people think of Red Bull, they think of pushing limits and experiencing life to the fullest, not just an energy drink. This association makes their audience more likely to reach for a Red Bull when they need a boost, aligning their purchase with the brand's thrilling narrative.
Nike: Highlighting the Journey
Similarly, Nike doesn’t just post pictures of its shoes. It focuses on telling powerful stories of success, perseverance, and athletic achievement. Nike’s social media channels are rich with narratives highlighting the journey, not just the destination. They feature athletes from all walks of life overcoming obstacles, pushing their limits, and achieving greatness. Whether a professional athlete breaking world records or an everyday runner achieving a personal milestone, Nike’s stories are designed to inspire and motivate.
Nike's famous "Just Do It" campaign perfectly exemplifies this approach. The campaign features real stories of athletes who defied the odds, emphasizing that anyone can achieve greatness with determination and hard work. This messaging resonates with a broad audience, inspiring them to take action and believe in their own potential.
By focusing on these journeys, Nike connects with their audience on a deeper level. They create an emotional bond that goes beyond the physical product, positioning Nike as a partner in their customers' athletic and personal achievements. This connection makes their audience more likely to choose Nike when they need sports apparel or gear, as the brand represents their own values and aspirations.
Building Your Brand's Vision
To build a brand that goes beyond products, you need to articulate a clear vision, lifestyle, and set of values that your audience can identify with. Consider what your brand stands for and how you want to be perceived. What stories can you tell that embody your brand’s essence? How can you connect with your audience on an emotional level?
Key Strategies for Building Your Brand
Identify Your Core Values: Define what your brand stands for. Are you about innovation, sustainability, adventure, or community? Make these values clear in your storytelling.
Tell Authentic Stories: Share real stories that reflect your brand’s values and vision. Authenticity builds trust and emotional connections.
Engage with Lifestyle Content: Create content that aligns with the lifestyle you promote. Show how your products fit into and enhance that lifestyle.
Inspire and Motivate: Use your platform to inspire your audience. Highlight journeys of perseverance, success, and impact, just like Nike and Red Bull.
Build a Community: Foster a sense of community around your brand. Encourage user-generated content and interactions that reinforce your brand’s vision and values.
Inspire User-Generated Content
A great example of this strategy is 7-Eleven in the US. Instead of just showcasing their products or gas services, they share night shots of car culture scenes in front of their stores. These images don't focus on selling gas but on inspiring car enthusiasts to share pictures of their cars at 7-Eleven locations. This creates a community-driven approach, encouraging limitless user-generated content. By doing this, 7-Eleven taps into a vibrant subculture, turning their stores into a hub for car enthusiasts and fostering a sense of belonging and excitement.
7-Eleven: Creating a Community-Driven Brand Experience
A great example of this strategy is 7-Eleven in the US. Instead of just showcasing their products or gas services, 7-Eleven has cleverly leveraged the car culture subculture to create engaging and community-driven content. They share night shots of car culture scenes in front of their stores, capturing the vibrant energy and unique atmosphere of these gatherings.
Focusing on the Community
These images don't focus on selling gas but rather on inspiring car enthusiasts to share pictures of their cars at 7-Eleven locations. This approach goes beyond traditional advertising by fostering a sense of community among car enthusiasts. It invites them to see 7-Eleven not just as a convenience store but as a meeting point where they can gather, share their passion for cars, and be part of a larger community.
Encouraging User-Generated Content
By promoting these car culture scenes, 7-Eleven encourages limitless user-generated content. Car enthusiasts are motivated to take pictures of their own vehicles in front of 7-Eleven stores and share them on social media, tagging the brand. This user-generated content serves as authentic and organic promotion, amplifying 7-Eleven’s presence in the car culture community without the brand having to create all the content themselves. It's a powerful example of how to leverage the passion and creativity of your audience to build brand awareness and loyalty.
Tapping Into a Subculture
By doing this, 7-Eleven taps into a vibrant subculture, turning their stores into a hub for car enthusiasts. This attracts a specific and passionate audience and fosters a sense of belonging and excitement. Car enthusiasts feel seen and valued by the brand, enhancing their loyalty and engagement. 7-Eleven's stores have become more than just a place to buy snacks or fuel—they have become a part of the car culture experience, a backdrop for car meet-ups, and a central point in enthusiasts' social interactions.
The Impact of Community Engagement
This strategy demonstrates the power of community engagement. By recognizing and celebrating the interests of a particular group, 7-Eleven has successfully embedded itself into the fabric of that community. They’ve created an emotional connection that goes beyond transactional interactions. Enthusiasts are not just customers; they are part of a community that 7-Eleven actively supports and participates in.
Creating a Sense of Belonging
The sense of belonging that 7-Eleven fosters among car enthusiasts translates into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the brand. Customers are more likely to choose 7-Eleven not just for convenience but because they feel connected to the brand’s recognition and support of their passion. This strategy can also be applied to other brands: by identifying a subculture or community that resonates with their values, brands can create similar engagement and loyalty.
7-Eleven’s approach is a brilliant example of how brands can go beyond traditional advertising to create engaging, community-driven content. By focusing on the interests and passions of their audience, they’ve transformed their stores into cultural hubs and fostered a sense of belonging and excitement. This strategy enhances brand loyalty and generates authentic user-generated content, amplifying their reach and impact. Brands can learn from 7-Eleven’s example by identifying and engaging with subcultures and communities that align with their values, creating deeper and more meaningful connections with their audience.
Create Meaningful Content
To move beyond product shots, consider the following content strategies:
Behind-the-Scenes: Give your audience a peek behind the curtain. Show them how your products are made, introduce them to your team, and share the creative process. This builds transparency and trust.
User-Generated Content: Highlight your customers using your products in real-life situations. Encourage them to share their stories and experiences, creating a community around your brand.
Educational Content: Provide value by sharing tips, tutorials, and informative content related to your industry. This positions your brand as an expert and builds credibility.
Impact Stories: Share stories of how your brand is making a difference. Whether it’s through sustainability efforts, charitable initiatives, or community involvement, show the positive impact you’re making beyond just selling products.
Engagement is key. Simply filling your feed with product shots is no longer sufficient to capture and maintain your audience’s attention. Social media isn’t like ads in a magazine; it’s the articles that make up the magazine's content. This means creating compelling content that people don’t even realize it’s an ad. By going beyond the product and embracing storytelling, emotion, and vision, brands can create content that resonates deeply with their audience.
Your brand is more than just the products you sell. It embodies a vision, a lifestyle, and a set of values. Take cues from brands like Red Bull and Nike. Red Bull doesn't just show images of their energy drink; they sell a vision of excitement and adventure through extreme sports and thrilling events. Nike, on the other hand, tells powerful stories of perseverance and achievement, inspiring their audience with the journey rather than just the destination.
Similarly, brands like 7-Eleven have effectively tapped into vibrant subcultures to create community-driven content. By sharing night shots of car culture scenes in front of their stores, they have inspired car enthusiasts to generate their own content, turning 7-Eleven locations into hubs for car enthusiasts and fostering a sense of belonging and excitement.
To build a brand that goes beyond products, articulate a clear vision, lifestyle, and set of values that your audience can identify with. Engage with your audience through authentic stories and lifestyle content and by inspiring and motivating them. Foster a sense of community around your brand by encouraging user-generated content and highlighting the positive impact your brand makes.
By embracing these strategies, you’ll capture your audience's attention and build a loyal and engaged community around your brand. Remember, it’s not just about what you sell, but the story you tell. Engaging content that resonates on an emotional level celebrates your audience’s passions and aligns with their values will always stand out and create lasting connections.
