Why This List Isn't One-Size-Fits-All
These five strategies work because they're broad enough to apply across industries, but that also means they need to be adapted to your specific brand rather than copied exactly. A learning-experience strategy looks very different for a skincare brand than it does for a software company, and a bold pivot that works for a consumer product might not translate to a service-based business at all.
Treat this list as a framework for where to focus your attention, not a checklist to complete identically to how another brand executed it. The brands that get the most out of these strategies tend to be the ones that adapt them thoughtfully rather than following a template.
Why Connection Matters More Than Promotion
Audiences today expect more from the brands they follow than a steady stream of product posts. Trust and connection are consistently cited as major drivers of purchase decisions, and a large share of shoppers say they need to trust a brand before they'll buy from it in the first place.
That means content built purely around promotion tends to underperform content that builds a genuine relationship first. The five strategies below are less about individual campaigns and more about establishing an ongoing sense of connection that makes promotional content land better when it does show up.
1. Online Classes and Learning Experiences
Audiences enjoy learning directly from a brand, whether that's a quick tutorial or a more in-depth training session. If you're a hairstylist, a simple braiding tutorial gives your audience a shared experience with your brand, not just a product to consider buying.
These are relatively easy to execute through short-form video or Stories, and they don't need to be elaborate. Some brands take this further with structured sessions, similar to how Apple offers one-on-one coaching for new device owners. This format also proved valuable during the pandemic as a way for brands to stay connected when in-person interaction wasn't possible, and it's remained a strong content strategy since.
2. Brands With Clear Values
Audiences increasingly want to understand what a brand actually stands for, not just what it sells. Research consistently shows that a majority of consumers factor a brand's values and social stances into their purchasing decisions, and many say they feel more connected to brands that communicate those values clearly.
This is also a genuinely complex area to navigate. Consumers are not unanimous on which causes or stances they want brands to take, and audiences can be just as likely to disengage from a brand that takes a position they disagree with as they are to connect with one that aligns with their views. Some brands choose to speak out on specific causes, while others focus on values that are less politically charged, like sustainability, transparency, or community support. There's no universally right answer here, and it's worth thinking carefully about your specific audience, your brand's actual history and mission, and your appetite for risk before deciding how vocal to be.
What consistently matters more than any specific stance is authenticity. Audiences tend to respond negatively to a brand that appears to adopt a cause superficially without any real follow-through, so any values-based content should reflect genuine, sustained commitment rather than a one-off post.
3. Behind-the-Scenes Content
Just as audiences enjoy a glimpse into an influencer's daily life, they're drawn to behind-the-scenes content from brands too. Day-in-the-life content and account takeovers have become genuinely popular formats, most visibly among celebrities and public figures, but the same approach works well for brands.
Showing raw, unpolished content, whether that's a look at your marketing team, your storefront, or your HR department, gives your audience a sense of involvement they don't get from typical promotional content. If you haven't tried a behind-the-scenes format yet, it's a relatively low-effort way to build a noticeably different kind of connection with your audience.
4. Personalization
Personalization doesn't have to live entirely on social media. It can show up directly in what you send customers, like handwritten notes or orders addressed to a specific person rather than treated as a generic transaction. Small touches like this make buyers feel like people, not just a completed sale.
This is also where PR boxes become a genuinely effective tool. A well-personalized box sent to an influencer becomes something worth sharing, which extends your personalization efforts into content your audience actually sees and engages with.
5. Be Bold
The most consistent thing audiences respond to is a brand willing to take intentional, well-considered risks rather than settling into a comfortable, unchanging routine. Staying attentive to trends and underserved niches, and being willing to build toward them, is what separates brands that grow from ones that stagnate.
Audiences are often hesitant about major changes at first, but they tend to come around when a change is genuine and well-executed. Companies known for bold, deliberate pivots are frequently cited as examples of brands that took real risks and were rewarded for it over time. Change takes adjustment, but audiences generally respect a brand willing to evolve rather than one that stays stagnant indefinitely.
The One Thing That Ties All Five Together: Transparency
Underneath all five of these strategies is a single requirement: transparency. If any of these approaches feel forced or inauthentic to your actual brand, audiences will notice quickly, and it can undermine the connection you're trying to build rather than strengthen it.
Being honest and consistent about who your brand actually is matters more than checking every box on this list. Without that transparency, even well-executed content struggles to build the kind of trust that turns casual viewers into a loyal audience.
Rolling These Strategies Out Gradually
You don't need to implement all five strategies simultaneously, and trying to do so can actually work against you. Audiences tend to respond better to a brand that introduces meaningful change gradually and consistently than one that overhauls its entire content approach overnight.
A reasonable approach is picking the one or two strategies that feel most natural to your brand's existing identity, giving them time to genuinely resonate with your audience, and expanding from there. This also gives you room to see what specifically works for your audience rather than assuming every strategy will perform equally well.
What Audiences Want From Brands
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Trying to do everything at once. Gradual, well-executed changes tend to land better than an overwhelming shift in strategy all at once.
- Adopting values without follow-through. Audiences notice when a stated value isn't backed by consistent action.
- Copying another brand's bold move. What worked for one brand may not translate directly. Bold moves work best when they're genuinely rooted in your own brand and audience.
- Skipping transparency. Content that feels forced or inconsistent with your actual brand identity tends to erode trust rather than build it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should every brand take a stance on social issues? Not necessarily. While many consumers say they value brands that communicate clear positions, others prefer brands stay focused on their product and community work. It's worth considering your specific audience and your brand's actual history before deciding how vocal to be on any given issue.
How do I know if a bold brand change is worth the risk? There's no guaranteed formula, but changes rooted in genuine trends, underserved needs, or your brand's authentic direction tend to perform better than change made purely to stand out. Audience hesitation around big changes is normal and often settles once the change proves genuine.
Do I need to do all five of these strategies at once? No. Gradual adoption tends to work better than trying to implement every strategy simultaneously. Pick the one or two that feel most natural to your brand and build from there.
Build Deeper Connections, Then Let momfluence Help You Grow
Strong content builds a foundation of trust with your audience, and that trust is exactly what makes influencer partnerships more effective. A brand that's already connecting authentically has a real head start when it comes to working with the right creators.
momfluence connects brands who understand the value of genuine connection with a network of over 8,000 pre-screened mom creators who can help extend that story. If you're ready to build out your content strategy, book a call with momfluence and let's talk about what's next for your brand.