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The SBS Blog

Present, Not Perfect: Building Brand Loyalty in an Unprecedented Time

6/18/2020

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Under normal circumstances there are very few times in a person’s life when they’re open to changing brand loyalty: New parents transitioning from life without kids are typically the most open to changing their brand loyalty and shopping habits. But in recent months, demand for certain products (like hand sanitizer and toilet paper) surged, leaving some household name brands missing from the grocery shelves. Things aren’t exactly normal right now. And brands who have made even modest efforts to adapt and communicate during these unprecedented times have a unique opportunity to shift customer shopping habits—building brand loyalty that will likely pay off for years to come.

​Forming New Attachments

Most people don't go into their wedding planning process thinking about brand loyalty—and I certainly didn't go into my wedding planning process anticipating a pandemic. But as I worked to adapt our May wedding for these unique times, I started to reflect on brand loyalty. 
Sarah's Wedding
About two weeks before the wedding, I received a package of makeup products from Arch, a local beauty boutique. I had reached out to them (via their Instagram channel) after realizing all of my wedding day and pre-wedding hair and makeup appointments were cancelled, to see if they'd be willing to help me figure out what makeup I needed for my special day. They did me one (or two) better! They took the time to help me figure out what products would help me achieve the look I was going for; they sent some nice gifts including a handwritten note and "tissues for happy tears;" and they provided a video tutorial for me so that I was all set for my big day.
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It should be noted that - prior to my wedding - I had never been to Arch before; but from now on, I'll be going to go to them for all of my makeup needs. And I've stopped considering my current salon for those types of services. 

​No E-commerce Site? Don’t Despair.

Businesses, large and small, that have made efforts to communicate and adapt to doing at least a small part of their business online are likely to gain new customers and build their loyalty. Small efforts can yield significant results. 
 
Some businesses, like a local gift shop, don't have a full ecommerce site built out, but were able to do live videos or Instagram posts showcasing their products, and invited their customers to do "personal shopping" via Facetime, as well as contactless pickup.

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​Good Vibes

In branding, feelings play a big role in the development of brand equity. Think about how television advertising works: When you're first getting to know a company or product, heart-strings and humor can play a big role in whether a certain product or company first grabs your attention. Positive feelings matter in the attachments that we form, and the loyalty we develop, to brands. 
 
I'd walk through fire for our minster (and our faith community), who promised me we'd figure out a way to get married on time, even if we had to adapt what our ceremony looked like. We drove out of our way to do curbside pickup from a wine shop that helped us, via a quick email exchange, pick out budget-friendly sparkling wine from France, where our honeymoon was supposed to take place. 

​Communicate, Even When Things Aren’t Perfect

My husband's already-purchased-wedding-day suit is still stuck in a locked down men's suit chain, and communication never happened. Despite the fact that many retail shops have re-opened, we still (in mid-June) don’t know when we’ll see that suit. 
 
And while some customers are always going to be unhappy about external factors that are beyond a business’s control, for many others a sincere apology and basic explanation of the circumstances goes a long way. That suit shop has lost our business for good, and likely the business of our friends and family as well.
 
My husband's wedding ring, which we found out also wasn't going to be done on time, was another matter. The small business making the ring communicated at each step in the process about what was happening—what stage of production the ring was in, whether there was a chance they could get it to us, and then, as stay-at-home orders were extended, a kind offer to send an in-stock replacement ring in case they couldn’t get it to us on time. (The original ring magically appeared in our mailbox on our way out the door to the church).
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For our clients, we invite them to consider the opportunities presented at this unique moment in time to foster relationships with customers that will pay off for many years to come. It's not about being perfect, it's about being present.

Sarah Best

CEO + Chief Strategist Sarah Best has won ten awards for her work including best use of a social media platform from Travel + Leisure. She was recently recognized in In Business Magazine's 40 Under 40, class of 2020. She was tapped to speak at Social Media Week for the MacArthur Foundation, has been selected twice for SXSW. She is an alumna of New York University, a Rotarian, and a board member of several nonprofits.

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Sarah Best
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Taking a Social Media-First Approach to Annual Reports

9/26/2019

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A well-crafted annual report can be a powerful vehicle for sharing your message and accomplishments. Once finished, organizations often step back and strategize how to convert the full-breath of the report into engaging social posts. But what if you approach the annual report from a social media-first perspective at the very outset?

It's common knowledge that attention spans are getting shorter. We're bombarded by news, videos, and images every day, every where. It's estimated that Generation Z's attention span clocks in at roughly eight seconds, with 98 percent of them owning a smartphone. A report from Deloitte, the average American consumer now checks their phone 52 times per day. 

That means your audiences are likely interacting with your annual report in ways you never planned for. Taking a social media-first perspective will do more than make your social media manager happy, it'll bring in more readers and drive fresh traffic to last year's content, keeping key stakeholders engaged throughout the year. 

As you approach the year's end, take an inventory of all your blog posts, stories, photos, press releases and other materials over the past year. As you sort through it all, think about which stories qualify as the most compelling and keep in mind where you can utilize dynamic visuals. As you keep a social-first focus, consider using the following strategies to highlight the necessary facts, figures and images while opening the door to greater interest (and engagement):

Less Text, More Context

With many annual reports, there's a tendency to create drafty long stories and standard letters from the leaders. With a social media-first perspective, consider where you can use visuals instead of text--and gather together facts, figures, images and examples that can demonstrate your work and vision in a more succinct way. 

Nonprofit Annual Report Example - Taking a Social Media-First Approach

For example, in developing last year's annual report for Food 4 Farmers, we spread a conventional story arc across three pieces:​​
  • Illustrate the challenge - Food 4 Farmers does more than help farming families develop food security strategies, it builds awareness of the challenges that coffee farmers face. What's the challenge you face? What didn't work? How did you overcome the challenge or not?
View this post on Instagram

This graphic from our annual report sums up the problems facing so many coffee-farming families. A combination of rapidly rising food costs, falling coffee prices and the effects of climate change are fueling migration across Latin America. Last week, we witnessed the effects during our visit with old and new partners in Guatemala. We heard firsthand accounts of the challenges farmers face in feeding their families. The difficulty of running a cooperative when prices fall well below the costs of production. But we also heard inspiring stories that show a path forward with families working together, focused on farm diversification and growing better food. Young women and men jumping into beekeeping to help provide for their families. Cooperatives providing services beyond coffee to help their members. There's an important article in the @Guardian today on the food crisis in Guatemala at http://bit.ly/guardiancoffee (with photos from @mimundo_org). Read it and then visit www.food4farmers.org to help.

A post shared by Food 4 Farmers (@food4farmers) on Jul 29, 2019 at 1:15pm PDT

  • What success looks like - Success was illustrated by one of the Food 4 Farmers' most popular programs: beekeeping. Not only did it help farming families diversify income, these pollinators also contributed to food security. 
View this post on Instagram

The #PollinatorWeek hits continue. Did you know pollination by bees and other animals contributes 5-8% of global crop production value? And while coffee isn’t as dependent on bees for pollination as other crops, research shows that pollinators do have an impact. Bee pollination in coffee can lead to a 10-30% increase in productivity & quality. That means better coffee for you, diversified income for farmers & food security for families. Click the link in our bio to read the story in our Annual Report. Photo by @JuliaLuckett

A post shared by Food 4 Farmers (@food4farmers) on Jun 20, 2019 at 12:00pm PDT

  • Setting aspirations - Eighty percent of all participants in the organization's programs are women and young girls. While food security is the organization’s main goal, there are intersecting issues—like gender and productive opportunities for young people—that Food 4 Farmers focuses on. You have challenges, you have success, but where are you headed next? 

The Pieces of a Story

When you build your story with different elements rather than a self-contained narrative, you'll make it easier to break your annual report down into posts that you can share over weeks and months as you roll it out. 

In any of the narratives we used for Food 4 Farmers, we gathered common elements that easily convert into social media posts:​​
  • Impact information - What are the numbers that get to the heart of each story? (It's not just about how many people you reached.) For Food 4 Farmers, we looked into how much families saved on groceries after they added a home garden and how much income or productivity increased (or didn’t) thanks to interventions like beekeeping. â€‹
  • Images - Well-composed photos can generate interest beyond words. Make sure that each story has at least one photo that defies description and invites your readers in. 
View this post on Instagram

"This past year made it clear once again that coffee is simply not enough to support the millions of families who rely on it. The global coffee price has hovered well below the average cost of production, and farmers are struggling to feed their families and maintain their land. The social and economic impact has been enormous. The need to transform coffee farms into economically viable businesses is vital." Click the link in our bio to read our 2018 Annual Report & share, pls. Photo by @JuliaLuckett with Teresa Jacinto of the Maya Ixil Cooperative in Guatemala. #WOCBerlin #worldofcoffee #BerlinWCC #FoodSecurity #annualreport #FoodSecurity #FoodSovereignty #Guatemala #Nicaragua #Colombia #Mexico

A post shared by Food 4 Farmers (@food4farmers) on Jun 7, 2019 at 11:00am PDT

  • Individuals - Figures and numbers are important, but they're difficult to relate to. Create concise stories of people—the important individuals that illustrate the larger goal and make success possible. 
View this post on Instagram

This is Sandra Isabel Obando, at left. During the political crisis that rocked Nicaragua in April 2018, many of the roads to communities served by our partners at SOPPEXCCA were barricaded. Sandra put the skills she learned in Food 4 Farmers’ organic market program to good use, feeding her family with the fruits and vegetables she grew, while earning additional income selling produce to her neighbors. She continues to sell produce at the new farmers' market in Jinotega (another Food 4 Farmers & SOPPEXCCA project) and has become an expert in cultivating organic produce. ?? Read her story & more in our 2018 Annual Report.?? Click that little link in the bio!

A post shared by Food 4 Farmers (@food4farmers) on Jun 27, 2019 at 12:00pm PDT

  • Infographics - Rather than creating a singular infographic, develop artwork that can be broken down into pieces and shared individually or all together.​

Neither political strife, nor historically low coffee prices could stop our partners from improving food security in coffee communities.

Read our 2018 #AnnualReport & share, pls. https://t.co/KxGiwSIUtN #WOCBerlin #worldofcoffee pic.twitter.com/CeJO5qrKYk

— Food 4 Farmers (@food4farmers) June 12, 2019

Extra Credit Considerations

For those of you eager to go above and beyond this year, we've got two more tips to share:

  • Sizing is important - Don’t just share the same graphic across all social media channels. Make sure the images are cropped to the proper size for the channel you’re chasing. Vertical, horizontal, square? It matters to your readers. Try using Canva, which offers free templates to help you set up the proper size.
  • Extend the approach to all content - Preparing for an annual report shouldn’t just come up at the end of the year, it’s a process that hums in the background throughout the year as you consider what to publish on your blog, social media and in traditional media. How are you planning your stories for the entire year? How will these be reflected in your day-to-day posts on Twitter, Tik-tok, Facebook or LinkedIn? 
 
For ideas on boosting your content planning strategy, check out our Same-Page Content Planning Case Study. And if you’re looking for help promoting your Annual Report or other accomplishments on social, we offer Social Media Management for nonprofits of any size.

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Kyle Freund

Kyle Freund is a Senior Strategist and Writer for Sarah Best Strategy with over 15 years of experience in strategic communications and marketing for non-profits, NGOs, and sustainability-minded organizations and companies. As an English/Spanish bilingual communications professional, he has provided media relations, communications guidance, crisis communications strategy, and digital messaging for a wide variety of clients that span from Fortune 500 companies to small-scale coffee farmers seeking to diversify their income.
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5-Minute Social Branding Tip

5/15/2017

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5-Minute Social Branding Tip
There's a simple, powerful action you can take in the next five minutes to strengthen your social media brand.

This tip, which comes out of our social media audit work, is quick and easy to implement but will make a big impact.

Cornerstones of social branding

The cornerstones of social branding are consistency and repetition. You want to state the same key messages about your company, product, or service over and over again over a long period of time. 

Are your social media bios consistent?

One quick action you can take to improve your social media branding is to look at your social media bios, or your “About” copy, on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.

Are you describing your company the same way every time? If not, take the best, most concise statement and use it as your bio across channels.

Example of consistent social branding: Starbucks

In each of the five examples below, you will see that Starbucks uses an identical bio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. "Inspiring and nuturing the human spirit--one person, one cup, one neighborhood at a time."

Are your social bios searchable?

Bios are searchable, so if you are providing professional services, for example, you might want to mention what you do in your bio to make it easier for people to find you. 

If the messaging is consistent, it's okay to tweak your bio slightly to fit the channel. In the example above, you can note that Starbucks' Instagram bio includes an emoji of a coffee cup.

Your Twitter bios may include some tagged accounts and hashtags. Executives, public information officers, and social media managers might want to tag their company accounts in their bios.

The Starbucks Partners Twitter account links back to the main Starbucks Twitter account and includes a branded hashtag for employee engagement.

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Example of social branding
Sarah Best, Founder and Principal of Sarah Best Strategy

Sarah Best

Founder / Principal of Sarah Best Strategy, a boutique agency that makes social media work for you.  Award-wining social media strategy, social media advertising, content strategy & marketing consulting services. Follow us on Facebook, connect with me on Linkedin.

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