Users want to be part of your story, and be more than an audience
By Linda Patiño
The history of social media has shown time and again that formats can be transformed, but it is the relationships between users that creates value for a community. Whether it's Classmates in the 90s, MySpace in the 2000s, or Clubhouse in the year of the pandemic, the reason why billions of people flock to these digital spaces is to participate in the community, connect and share.
Nowadays, it is not enough to post something and wait for likes and comments. Just as PR has moved beyond sending out press releases, social media users don't want cold content and office billboard ads. Prosumers long for content that engages them in the action, that is a part of their lives, their topics of conversation with family and friends, and that supports their own everyday arguments and raison d’etre.
It is there where real-time formats make room for valuable connections. While a video or a photo can be edited and prefabricated down to the smallest detail, livestreaming on Twitch or participating in Spaces on Twitter, to name a few examples of live interaction, can bring a spontaneity to the experience that is appreciated by all users.
On the other hand, just as two heads are better than one, spontaneity has also shown us that it is more effective when the strategy is flexible and accompanies users in their objectives. Instead of imposing our message on them unidirectionally, the co-creation of content with the audience allows us to strengthen ties with our followers and also to make them protagonists in their own social circles and generate spontaneous engagement in which the brand, the message and the strategy are just intermediaries in the relationships that unite people.
Just look at examples like the outstanding choreographies of the Black Eyed Peas #BEPMovementMonday
Instagram @bep
Every week, the band highlights on its channels videos of users in the world dancing to their songs, but the original invitation is to have fun with choreography and show their personality. With that, more than a sequence of steps, they have received adaptations of their rhythms with traditional Indian dances, breakdance choreographies by artists in Latin America and even small children making subtle movements while being recorded by their parents. Regardless of the skill level, everyone has a space to have fun in the process.
The future strategies for social networks lies in integrating audiences, which for decades were relegated to mere recipients of information. Those who develop their intuition to integrate users will have real possibilities of global reach and virality, thinking beyond the target audience to building a community.