Taking community management beyond the screen
Written by Gwyn Lawrence
The battle to stand out amongst brands who want consumer attention is often about getting across the ‘why us’ of it all.
In my years as a content creator in the food & beverage space, my email and Instagram inboxes were regularly filled with offers of gifting in exchange for posts. Sometimes to the point of it being slightly overwhelming.
So what was it that, when the call came through, or the parcel showed up, that made me actually want to support a brand? Often, especially for smaller names that didn’t feel as glamorous or exciting to share, it was the personalisation. A brand that made me feel that they were genuinely excited to work with me and my platform, made me more excited to engage with them.
That little bit of extra insight always served me well in the community management sphere and serves as a key strategy I use for my clients on the other end of the gifting process. Whether it’s an influencer parcel, a giveaway winner, or just a surprise and delight, I’m always looking for ways to add a personal touch, creating excitement for the recipient of a delivery.
That’s why my favourite way to show a brand genuinely cares is by creating the ultimate brand notecard… community management with a more personal touch!
How to write the perfect brand notecard
Know the brand’s tone of voice inside out
This is fundamental for any Community Manager worth their salt. You engage with your community as the brand every day, so understanding what exactly that means should be second nature.
Translate that to paper
Digital messaging has so much less room for personalisation than handwritten notes, so how can we make the most of this?
Using a brand TOV as a jumping-off point, we start to think about what their handwriting looks like, do they use emoji or draw icons, is everything in capitals or is the lettering joined and curly?
Referring to brand guidelines can be incredibly helpful here if you’re writing by hand.
Continue the conversation
The chances are, the prior conversation online where you surfaced delivery details will have some extra insights you can reference in your message.
Why are you sending this person a gift? Did they win a giveaway? If so, what was the theme? Are they a superfan you’re surprising? Have they mentioned anything personal that you can reference to make this feel like a continuation of that communication?
Sign-off in style
Coming back to TOV, how would the brand close a message?
Whether personifying them or making the recipient feel part of the community, a note should always close with a signature flourish designed to leave a warm, lasting feeling of care and connection.
Ultimately, community is about connecting on a personal level with fans of the brand in a tangible way. Fostering virtual brand communities helps to cultivate customer loyalty, and create brand advocacy, but the extra step is ensuring even in the repetitive, the small, and what can be seen as the mundane, that extra personalised touch shines through.
Paying attention to these details allows a client’s presence to feel consistent across all marketing activity, from OOH messaging, all the way to customer service. But more than that, it makes customers feel special, seen and appreciated; and that’s really the first step in turning your brand fans into loyal brand advocates.
