How to ace accountability on social
We’re done with the word “authentic”.
Don’t get us wrong. It’s not a bad thing for a brand to want to be true to itself. In fact, it’s actually the foundational strategy of some of the best approaches to social out there.
But as a piece of advice, telling brands to “be authentic” doesn’t do them any favours. It’s lazy. It’s vague. It’s forever lost to the Marketing Buzzword Hall of Fame.
Our latest white paper, Forget Real: Why Brands Should Aim Higher than Authentic on Social, is an interrogation of that word. We looked to the biggest brands killing it on social. And sure, you could argue their authenticity has been key to their success. But what makes them authentic? What are the tangible, meaningful applications of authenticity that brands can take inspiration from?
To answer that question, we’ve come up with four pillars that should be your new North Star on social. When you forget about trying to be authentic and focus on these instead, you won’t have to say you’re authentic. It becomes a natural byproduct of your social output.
Don’t be authentic, be accountable.
A brand people respect and love is a brand that visibly holds themselves accountable to those causes and values they claim to support.
Accountability is all about being clear and open when it comes to your business, values and culture. More than that, it’s about delivering those values and fostering that culture through actions, not words.
It’s the undercurrent that should run through all aspects of your operations, from PR to new product development and supply chains. But it’s critical on social. That’s because, unlike other channels, social is an open dialogue, where your biggest fans – and your loudest critics – can clearly be seen and heard.
66% of consumers are willing to pay more for products from brands committed to social accountability.
-Neilson’s Global Trust Report
And if you needed any more persuading, data tells us that accountability equals favourability when it comes to consumer’s shopping baskets. Neilson’s Global Trust Report highlighted that 66% of consumers are willing to pay more for products from brands committed to social accountability. ‘Committed’ is the key word: brands need to actively prove they’re putting their money where their mouth is.
The bottom line is this: to truly live your brand values, you need to hold yourself accountable for your actions – because if you don’t, your audience will.
Accountability should empower, not intimidate.
Brands need to operate within their own reality. Just because a topic is important to your audience, doesn’t mean your brand is able to speak on it. You might be owned or have been acquired by a parent company whose own practices sometimes counter your values. You might be a fashion brand or a fast food organisation that’s never going to be able to speak on sustainability without backlash.
So what can you speak about with substance? Can you speak on politics? Gender discourse? Ethics? Women’s rights? Black empowerment? There are so many issues that brands are expected to, or can feel pressured to, take a stand on. You just need to find the topic that won’t make a hypocrite of you – and stick to that.
Accountability equals action.
We’ve made the case for accountability. Now it’s time for our tips on how to apply it to your own social strategy.
You can find all our pointers – plus clever commentary and actionable advice on our three remaining pillars – in the full white paper, available to download now for free.
Expect to learn:
- Why your setbacks shouldn’t be swept under the rug
- Why self-righteousness is failing brands as a creative play
- How you can build genuine community that equates to more than just followers
