There was a time where, to most brands, marketing and public relations on digital platforms just meant having profiles on any and all platforms. However, times have changed, and consumers now expect more from brands online and on social media. It is not enough to simply be there, but consumers expect real time interaction, engagement and conversations with brands. Is your digital marketing and PR strategy personal to your customers and boosting your brand? Remember these key areas:

Collaborate!

Hard selling on digital platforms is a common pitfall- customers expect content that adds value to their lives above all else. Look at other businesses in other industries that would be appropriate to engage in a mutually-beneficial partnership that is in line with both your brands. Then, leverage this partnership to create new content and digital activities that will be interesting and fresh for your combined audiences. Be sure to take note of what’s happening, trending and popular locally, and find a way to become part of the conversation. Take this a step further by participating offline, giving you even more content to share on your brand’s online platform, and tie your online and offline efforts together by including your online icons, profiles and information on traditional communications.

Focus on content.

Content that is thoughtlessly shared on digital platforms won’t necessarily be valuable to your audience, and won’t help your communities to grow and remain engaged. Ultimately, your content must always be valuable, insightful and visual. No matter what industry you are in, you can educate your customers by sharing your opinion about topical issues, and by producing content that informs them about relevant topics that are important to them. You can also harness the power of the original content you create by asking your customers to be part of your database in order to access more content.

Tell Authentic Stories.

Creating an emotional connection between your customers and your brand is one of the most powerful things you can do. The first step to doing this is to identify your brand’s purpose and connect that to your customer. Your content should use these insights to tell your story through visual content, including photos and video. Your customer should be able to relate to you as a brand- customers expect to interact with a human, personable brand online. Above all, remember to keep your story authentic. When it comes to the internet, customers can smell a phony story or a post made up for likes and clicks from a mile away.