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  Think of all the brands you love. From Netflix to Apple, Flutterwave, Microsoft, Cowrywise – etc.
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It was probably not love at first sight, but you have grown to trust the brand. Branding is a journey, and these brands have been able to hack the process. Brand affinity comes with building a TRUST relationship with your audience such that there is a thriving community that roots for you. If you use an iPhone, you most likely purchase it once a year. While your purchase is not enough to keep Apple in business, they ensure to deliver an incredible experience through their product that makes you want to brag about it to your Android friends. The exclusive feel of your iPhone 13 helps you sell the brand to others without even knowing it. You go on to sell the Apple brand to other people. These people sell to others, and the cycle continues along that pattern. Yes, you are not Apple. You are probably a small business that wants to be big someday. It is great to acquire customers and make sales but what is even greater is having a pool of people making the acquisition for you. Now, that is affinity. How Small Businesses Can Build Brand Affinity Through Social Media

  • Understand Your Audience

Who are they? What are their pain points? What/Where do they spend their time on? Understand your audience from their standpoint, not yours.

  • Keep Them In The Loop

Social media is a powerful tool. You can communicate with thousands of people at once, so utilize it. As a small business, it could be asking for suggestions (colours, packaging, etc.) concerning your products, joining conversations they have, or even getting them to talk about your brand in general.
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Some time ago, an indigenous fashion brand on social media had an issue with its website while running a sale. Instead of closing the sale, they put up a poll asking their audience for suggestions so the sale could continue. Of course, you don’t wish for your website to crash, but you do get the point. Look for things they are interested in, talk about them. Make them part of the decision process. This way, they feel affiliated with the brand.

  • Be Authentic

Use your personality well. Your audience sees through the tight branding, page aesthetics, and professional language. You’re a human after all so, be relatable. You do not have to bend business rules or try to be funny or witty; just show the human sides of your business strategically.

  • Leverage User-Generated Content(UGCs)

UGCs are content created by users for other users. It is typical to believe a fellow buddy that once patronized the business rather than you, the business owner. It is how humans work. Go heavy on reviews from clients and let them help you spread the word. If your business can handle it, get to work with niched influencers with the audience you need. Leverage the trust the audience has in them to put your products in their faces. Sticking with Apple as our case study. It feels interesting to know that Apple never releases ads asking people to buy their products. They show us how to create fascinating stuff with these products such that we anticipate it. We test the things we see from the ads after acquiring the product, and it comes out just as expected. Outside all of the branding and tips outlined, no amount of effort can take the place of a great product. A bad product can not maintain brand affinity. Featured Image Source: Marketing91
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This article was first published on 16th October 2021

grace-christos

Grace Christos Is a content creator with a proven track record of success in content marketing, online reputation management, sales strategy, and so much more.

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