What are the most effective social media strategies for customer loyalty in a highly-regulated industry?

Regulated industries are notoriously difficult for marketing, simply because of the increased accountability for any promises or perceptions you create. One way to think about this differently is to consider the FEELINGs you can help your audience have rather than defined or tangible outcomes. Understanding the feelings your audience want can help you shape content and marketing without crossing regulatory lines.

When you know your audience you can easily segregate them in strategic manner. For example you want to connect with people who took service/Product from you once but didn't come back so you can put different strategies for them.

Know your audience by heart. -What keeps them awake at night? -What are their biggest challenges? -Demographics Build your loyalty program with this information. You know what your audience likes and what resonates. Have all the data piece you can have.

The simple input I can give you that makes all of the difference is to control your INTENT. If your intent is to sell your product or service by demonstrating how good you or your product are then your intent is wrong. If you do that not only will you be boring but you will also run the risk of pushing legal/compliance boundaries. Instead, think about demonstrating who you and your people are, your philosophies, your drivers, your wins. Remember your people are also your clients/ customers so do the same with them. Engage with them, be real, be human. Eyeball marketing doesn't work very well in regulated fields, but personal branding and connection do every time.

Understanding your audience requires one to craft a compelling brand narrative. It's about speaking their language. Whether it be through accessories like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts or Podcasts etc.,

To educate them learn their language. Know what they like. Find where they invest most of the time. That's how you will get to know: How Where When Which way To educate and inform them.

Again, regulated industries are difficult, so this is where human stories can be really powerful. The more human you can make the content, the more engaging it will be, if it feels like propaganda, it will be treated with advertising suspicion. Can you capture things in the customers own words, could you use video content of the customers sharing their perspective. Sometimes, even if it looks a little rough around the edges can help as it looks less promotional and more like a real story. Sometimes slick production on content can put people off.

We empower existing clientele and audiences, by sharing valuable insights and success stories. By answering how their aspirations will be solved & the kind of qualitative/quantitative outcomes that will enable them - we establish trust as a reliable thought leader; proving them how we're not just here to earn business.

The offering of virtual masterclasses as a form of education too has a benefitial role in a business' marketing strategies. This in many ways shows an intentional way to provide insights and empowerment.

This goes for even non highly-regulated industries. If you're using social media to simply yell to people BUY MY STUFF you are missing the points of SOCIAL media completely. With a value-added strategy aimed at your ideal potential customer, you can be there for them when they don't need you so you are top of mind when they do.

Engaging and interacting with the customers is the first step towards building brand loyalty. This can be in the form of AMA sessions, polls. Also, asking for feedback goes a long way. ??

That's vital as well as challenging. Every business needs a different strategy for the same. This builds trust and help them build a bond with the brand.

Always engage and interact to build relationships. It is not B2B or B2C, it is Human-to-human. People follow and do business with the people they like and trust. Engaging and adding your insights is the best way to do it.

Fostering a community should be a prime priority - if you are looking to engage & interact. It offers a podium to spark meaningful conversations. Using new-age avenues on social media like - Instagram Broadcast Channels, WhatsApp Channels & Communities & regular activities like Live-Streams, Instagram Polls, Q&A Stories, Emoji Sliders etc., will helps humanise the brand further, catalysing brand loyalty.

Engaging should be priority #1. Take this opportunity to ask questions and learn about their pain points. Understand their perspective. It not only builds trust but builds your credibility as well.

Marketing, at its core, dances on a tightrope between truth and embellishment. Striking a balance is key - truth forms the foundation, embellishments adorn. Choosing deception erodes trust. Authenticity wins, and the long-term relationship with consumers and customers alike, matters.

ALWAYS be transparent and compliant. Focus on finding creative ways of delivering your message and still staying compliant. It can help you build authenticity, and earn trust. If you build trust, your audience will be loyal.

Compliance can be a problem, especially if your content needs to go through a process of approvals. I always recommend to my clients to add in much more time for compliance approvals. This is especially true in large organisations or where you are an authorised rep for another. The biggest challenge is of course, ensuring you avoid over promising.

It's common to want to delete or ignore complaints on social media about your company or product(s). This is a 'head in the sand' approach and when has that ever been a winning strategy? Tackle them head on. Thank them for voicing their concerns. Ask them to take this offline (maybe through an email) so you can best address it. While you may not win over that individual, other potential customers will see that you addressed the issue with the offended customer. THAT WINS FUTURE CUSTOMERS!

While RoI is crucial, gauging customer loyalty demands a holistic approach. Metrics like Customer Lifetime Value, Net Promoter Score, Customer Satisfaction Index, and Churn Rates offer vital insights. Understanding behavior, engagement, and feedback-enriching strategies are what counts, when it comes to lasting customer relationships.

While I generally agree with tracking and measuring results such as Reach, Engagement, etc, we are always at the mercy of the social media algorithms. Try getting accurate historical data from X/Twitter right now. I would encourage you to focus on engagement (how many people share, comment, etc you posts), reach (how many accounts did your posts supposedly get seen by), and follower growth (good indicator if your messages are being valued by others currently not following you).

In the era, you cannot survive without social media marketing,promotiong your professional activities... Your virtual social existence should be there.

Sharing lifestyle type content on social media is a great way to create a loyal customer base in a highly-regulated field. Highlight employees, share your brand story, show existing customers using your product/service in action (if able), utilize stories across various social channels to share content in a lower-risk way, share testimonials, find ways to connect with your customers that go beyond the idea of posting just to sell. If your product is unable to be shared in images, create a brand identity that is consistent throughout all your posts so that loyal customers know it's your brand at a quick glance even with no product visible.