Whenever we begin a conversation with a client about their brand and how our Christian media group and marketing services will build their social media community, especially if they’re a start-up, they usually seem primarily concerned about growing their number of followers.  But building a magnetic social media community, one that actually socializeswith your brand isn’t as much about the number of likes you get, it’s about who’s doing the liking.   

Social communication starts offline.  It starts with developing a core collection of brand evangelists, people you’ve planted relationships with, relationships that have deep roots. It’s about Fan Development through them.  These people, whether customers, volunteers, or employees, when coached, have the capacity to become catalysts for the kind of viral growth necessary to take your brand from point A to point B across the social web.

Sure there are shortcuts available. There are always ways to appear more influential than you actually are. That is just as true in the faith-based market as in the “real” world.  But true influence is measured by the degree to which your audience decides to tell your story to their audience, and so on.

No amount of “likes” representing disengaged followers will ever replace a few key leaders who can tell your story effectively. Pour into that community first and watch it grow exponentially.

What have you experienced in this area?

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For information about FrontGate’s Social Media Services, see our overview: click here.