By: Ana Karadžole, community manager, DIALOG komunikacije
Thousands of conversations about brands take place on social platforms every day, and they shape the opinions and perceptions of everyone, from consumers and potential customers to the media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube have huge impact and potential to spread the good word, but also the bad, at the speed of light.
The reason social networks have profoundly changed the communication industry is not that it is now easier to reach out to a large number of people. Social networks are not an evolution of ads, but the revolution they have brought is based on the fact that brand communication has become a two-way street.
Consumers now have the opportunity to directly and openly interact with a brand. They can ask, brag and complain without any limits. Each comment is an opportunity to start a conversation and win someone’s affection or create a loyal customer. Interaction is the key to reach the users’ hearts.
Another important element is authenticity. Authenticity means that corporate stories should be presented from a personal perspective, which means that the conversation should include the management. In this way, companies position themselves as the flagships of their respective industries, and their executives as leaders.
No less important as creators of reputation are influencers. Strong influencers emerge in all countries of the world and have a powerful impact on trends and purchasing decisions. Planning cooperation with them is becoming increasingly complex, but at its core is the building of a relationship, which is also true for relations with the media and other influential audiences. Influencers project their personality and personal brand in every post, picture or video that they publish, which is why it’s extremely important to give them freedom in the creation of content. In our region, that’s something that advertisers and agencies have yet to master.
