A common misconception among business social media users is that it provides a great way to throw some free advertising up and gain more exposure for the brand. With billions of people around the world using social media it should be a part of the overall digital marketing plan. However, before we truly know how to take advantage of this powerful medium, we need to understand the reason that people use social media in the first place.
Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are the most popular channels of social media and they can truly create a robust and living element of your overall marketing plan. Their users however are looking for something in return. Professor Mohan Sawhney of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern calls it the “Return on Engagement” or “ROE.” Very similar to ROI, people are looking to get something in return for their engagement and their information. In other words, if we are able get useful knowledge, guidance, or insight, we are more likely to “bare our souls” and participate in social media content.
According to Dr. Sawhney, there are six ways to provide value to your content:
- Informational value – educational topics, research results, product and service innovations
- Community value – like-minded people connection, customers who want to share and connect because they share something in common – great for special interest groups
- Convenience value – content that saves people time and effort, will the images, information, and links make things easier for users
- Entertainment value – games and contests, sports and celebrity news, content that is fun and engaging for users
- Social value – best for fan bases and fads – involves a passionate customer base that desires to connect, emulate, and elevate their interests
- Inspirational value – stories that evoke emotion and energize users, can provide hope, encouragement, spiritual development and more.
Informational Value works great for complex organizations like primary eye care practices because of the complexity of the products and services offered. There is no end to interesting content about new technologies that make eye care more efficient, accurate, and fun.
The content that we see consistently getting the most ROE are glimpses into the life of the practice culture.
People love to see birthdays, holiday celebrations, and events. Sharing these moments tells your followers that you value their relationship. This Community Value content shows that your practice is genuine, made up of unique and interesting people.
Our Get Discovered digital marketing service provides consistent, professional Informational Value to your social media followers. However, nothing replaces those simple, personal updates on the life of the people of the practice.