What is a social-led brand and why do you need it in your life?

If you’ve dabbled in this trend or haven’t explored it quite yet, LISTEN UP.

A social-led brand is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: A brand that’s placed its marketing on the front lines of major social media platforms. I’m talkin’ Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, you get it.

A social-led brand’s greatest marketing weapon is its social media presence. This means staying up to date on all the different platform updates and features in order to remain relevant, trendy, and engaging.

Make no mistake, social-led branding is not about just yassifying your content and mass-posting. There are a couple things you have to master first.

THE MAIN INGREDIENTS OF A SOCIAL-LED BRAND

If creating a social-led brand is something you want to try out, you have to master these two biggies first:

Be consistent.
Be on trend.

BE CONSISTENT

This means your brand has to have the same tone, voice and vibe across all your socials.

It doesn’t matter what your brand voice is; spicy, flowery, posh, moody, grass roots, or buttoned-up, BE CONSISTENT about it! Your website should read like your Twitter. Your Twitter should read like your Facebook…You get it.

BE ON TREND

If your brand is still riding a meme that died of old age two months ago, you’re doing it wrong.

Stay on top of the latest trends and points of interest in the magical world of social media. Study your target audience and stay focused on the types of contents they’re eating up. Is it funny? Artisanal? Technical? It changes quickly, so keep your swiping thumb buff and soak up the trends with intent.

WHO’S DOING IT RIGHT?

A good example of a brand that understands the assignment is True Classic Tees. True Classic sells basic menswear, like tees, polos, crew cuts, v-necks, and boxer briefs. This simple menswear company blew up when they started leveraging social media to appeal to its ideal customer base.

Their philosophy is twofold: a) their t-shirts are made to be flattering on any man bod, and b) you shouldn’t have to pay out the nose for good quality, basic mens clothing.

They make it clear that their ideal customers are men who may not necessarily get to the gym as much as they’d like. Prime example: new Dads who have put on a few pounds. Their slogan for this target market is: “Less dad, more daddy.” Swish.

True Classic’s TikToks, Reels, FB posts, and Tweets are all short, hilarious, self-aware, and appeal to their target customers immediately.

More importantly, their voice is consistent. Check out this ad from their Facebook page. Nailed it.

WHY ARE SOCIAL-LED BRANDS SO EFFECTIVE?

Social-led brands work because they stay fresh and leave a lasting impression. Instead of pushing an annoying jingle that lives in your head rent-free, they make you chuckle or want to share their post.

The other superpower they bring to the table is convenience. Convenience is a game-changer.

Lots of trendy brands are utilizing in-app purchasing tools that encourage impulse buys. If you can make it butter-smooth-easy for customers to buy your stuff without ever having to leave the app where they found you? You’re fire, friend.

If this marketing method is something you want for your brand, we can help. Drop us a line and let’s take you to the next level!