Connection is king

It’s fair to say the game has changed. As we emerge from lockdown, businesses are reeling from the economic shockwaves, with many still deep in the tunnel.

So what does marketing in a post-Covid world look like?

Due to the forced digitalisation, innovation and adaptation of many businesses and brands, we aren’t going back to normal as we know it. This shift in consumer attention has been sped up by the pandemic.

Digital and social media are now in a position that parallels the importance of traditional advertising. As Kiwis are demanding more transparency, honesty and authenticity than ever before, businesses and brands need to step up to the mark. We’re now entering an era of community-driven focus, that extends into an always-on approach to communication and content.

An example of a successful purpose-led business that has capitalised on the growth of social media, is UK-based retail brand Gymshark – growing to a $500 million business in just seven years. Its strong, community-driven approach enables not just a business-to-consumer model of communication, but consumer-to-business. This has developed into a conservation with the brand engaging everyone from famous fitness influencers to casual joggers.

Social and digital media should be at the top of the marketing hierarchy. Connection is king. The businesses and brands that can build an authentic relationship with their consumers will win the day. In a post-Covid world, Kiwis want to feel appreciated, respected and supported. Social media is the only place that offers this intimate space, where consumers can interact and feel part of a community.

At UNCO, we implore all business owners and marketing managers to ask themselves: If you were your target consumer, would you follow and share your own social media content? And if so, why? This line of thinking is a great starting point to determine whether your strategy is ready for this new era of marketing. These three principles should form the core of your strategy: Value, authenticity, and community.

Nail these principles to ensure a reliable source of revenue and conversions with your content and community initiatives. Simply put, connection equals conversion.

Obviously this line of thinking impacts all aspects of marketing, from branding to customer service, but even more so how social media and content should be approached.

Over the last six months the social media landscape has changed so much. Facebook has just launched in-app shopping, rocketing the platform back to relevance. We’ve also recently seen a dethroning of the culture-defining Instagram platform, as users move on to TikTok – now boasting more than 800 million users.

Although TikTok is still relatively new and untested, it offers a real opportunity for those willing to innovate. It provides access to popular culture and youth, ideal for those brands that desire to be iconic and future-proof themselves for the next few years.

For retail, e-commerce and fast-moving consumer goods brands, utilising TikTok at this early stage could prove hugely beneficial given the rates of organic reach, brand awareness and cross-platform engagement. Consumer-facing export brands such as tourism would also be right at home, given its ability to market to both the eastern and western worlds – whilst also taking advantage of our post-lockdown desire to get out and explore New Zealand.

There is an abundance of opportunity businesses and brands willing to be brave and try something new.

Geoff Holmes is head of strategy at UNCO, a market-leading social media agency that specialises in building loyal and profitable communities online.