How to Think Long-Term When Building Social Connections

In 2020, crises including COVID-19, the death of George Floyd and the racial injustices that sparked protests around the world forced brands and social media managers to pivot away from their original strategies as consumer behavior changed overnight.

In many ways, brands can’t return to “normal” because of all that’s happened, but they can normalize taking a stand on social, accepting and applying audience feedback to their strategies and acting with transparency in order to cultivate long-term connections with their followers.

According to Sprout’s BrandsGetReal report, 91% of consumers believe in social media’s power to connect people and that power has been on full display throughout the ups and downs of 2020. As brands start to think ahead to the future, what strategies from this era will they continue to employ? And what will make or break the relationships they have with their audience?

In this guide, we’ll explore:

• What consumers expect from their interactions with brands online
• How brands are responding and adjusting their strategies
• The lessons marketers can apply to their future strategies for building connections
• And more!