5 Ways to Transform Your Audience Behavior from activist to Brand advocate

Steven Markano

No matter what industry your brand is categorized under, social issues will indeed have an effect on it . Why? Because your target audience wants to know how the brand addresses the issue and the customers that may be effected by it.

Are you familiar with the term, “cyberactivism“? It is defined as a process of using internet-based socialization and communication techniques to create, operate, and manage activism of any kind.

Cyberactivism is one of the most powerful components involved in social media mobilization. Popular amongst politicians, public figures, and human rights activists, it can also be used by individuals and organizations for a wide range of social issues. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are commonly used for marketing campaigns aligned with the goal of reaching communities within specific networks and groups to spread awareness. What happens when the individual or brand develop a killer campaign dedicated to the promotion of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with the goal of encouraging behavior change and transforming activists for a cause, to an advocate for a brand?

Here are the five ways your social media marketing campaign can make a change in society and establish advocates for your brand

1. Address The Problem, Provide Your Brands Solution

Social Media is all about the topic and audience it resonates with. As a brand you want to prioritize brand awareness campaigns for social issues that address the specific cause, build awareness for the cause, and create a space where your audience could get involved while promoting your brand.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and organizations around the world have launched marketing campaigns with the common goal of fighting for a cure while spreading awareness. Check out the popular water bottle company S’well and the breast cancer awareness product it launched in a collaborative effort with Swarovski.

2. Provide Information And Relevant Evidence

Whether a specific cause or charity have a personal effect on individuals within a target audience or not, relevant, factual, and respectable evidence has to support it. An activist may have close family or friends effected by the cause therefore accurate information will speak closely to the individuals experience.

An example of social media marketing campaigns capitalizing on cyberactivism is the breast cancer awareness Facebook Meme ‘I like it’ campaign. This campaign requested females from different backgrounds to update their Facebook status to locations where they like to put their purse. Although it generated awareness it lacked steps to action for the cause and relevant information.

3. Keep Audience Engaged With Your Content

Engagement. Engagement. Engagement.

No matter the cause or charity that your brand wishes to be a part of, the final goal is to encourage supporters for a cause to further their research with you and advocate for your brand.

Sending exclusive content, such as news or alerts help them interact with your brand, brand content, and ultimately could lead to choosing the next expert for your charity and future campaigns.

4. Avoid Content That Doesn’t Build Awareness

Sensitive topics within a social media marketing campaign launched with the intention of brand awareness means ensuring each detail is aligned and tells a story. Providing content about a cause that leads to sickness and death should avoid a comedic or selling approach.

A great example of what could go wrong is the Facebook Meme ‘I like to’ campaign. Although the campaign dominated in spreading knowledge, awareness to activists and Facebook users globally, the messaging received mixed feedback. Females took to Facebook to raise awareness using the ‘I like to’ status update however it’s viral reception was due to its sexual connotation and not breast cancer awareness. Remember to keep the goal in mind!

5. Offer Promotional and Involvement Opportunities

Branding is a never-ending initiative. When launching a social media marketing campaign that focuses on brand awareness and turning activists to brand advocates, offer FREE and aesthetically pleasing merchandise and content.

Organizations can offer volunteering opportunities, merchandise that aligns with the cause, and furthers the collaboration between your brand and brand audience. Through these social media marketing methods, activists become engaged with what they may already know about the social cause and build an advocacy with your brand.