Keep the Social Momentum Going

Brand building is easier when your brand has fans; connecting with your company excites them. But their enthusiasm will eventually die down if you don't respond to their expectations. Here's how to keep fans' enthusiasm alive long term:

Talk about your customers' problems. Initially, your fans may wait patiently for that next product feature or color announcement. But eventually, talking about your product — no matter what you say — will start to bore consumers. Marketers need to address their fans' problems to create the long-term value customers grow passionate about over time. Just like more boring brands, brands with lots of fans need to find out what's important to their customers and then provide a brand-sponsored solution that caters to their needs.

Turn your branding applications into media assets. Once you've connected with brand enthusiasts, your Facebook pages, communities, blogs, or videos may become attractive to compatible brands from other companies — or other divisions within your own company — that share a common audience. Procter & Gamble, which started Beinggirl.com to promote feminine care products, now helps adolescents learn about other company products like Herbal Essences shampoo on the site.

Be ready for real-time social interaction. Just developing social applications won't maximize brand enthusiasm and engagement. Better to participate actively in anything you create, since your fans will value your company's presence. Twitter is ideal for providing instant thrills to brand fans. For example, Kingfisher lets followers engage in the quiz around IPL to keep the buzz alive around the brand.

Take the brand momentum fans create offline. Marketers need a way to keep brand enthusiasm going — both online and offline. This can be as simple as giving them coupons to share with friends or hosting an event that lets them interact with your new products.

Hire vendors and agencies that have worked with all-star brands. If you're ready to develop a social application, you need to understand how online fans behave. Choose technology vendors and agencies that have experience with brands as popular as yours. Partners like OgilvyOne can develop a long-term social asset your enthusiasts will continually interact with.