Social media is where consumers interact with brands that they feel are an extension of themselves. They connect with your content because, at that moment, you make them laugh, bring back a memory or reveal new insight. Then they double tap and like.

But liking is not enough. The top brands want consumers to desire them. Why? Well, we all have desires. It’s human—our hopes and dreams birth yearning desires within us. And when we sense our desires, we are propelled to act upon them. They drive us to achieve more in life, to be recognised by others, and, importantly, to feel happy.

When consumers find a brand desirable, the action they take is to buy from them, and they repeat buy.

We must understand that consumers don’t buy products. They buy what the product will give them. You can drill consumer desires down to status, recognition, belonging and feelings of happiness. And successful brands position themselves as being able to fulfil these desires. And our desires are so strong that even though products give us temporary fulfilment, our urges lead us to buy them.

You can use marketing to communicate to consumers that you understand their deepest desires. The storytelling and imagery you use on social media must convey this message to your target market. But be clear on who your customer is and create content that will connect with only them. Disregard anybody outside the target market.

There’s no need for trickery in communicating that your brand is desirable. A brand is founded because it believes there are a set of people it can serve. So it’s pretty plausible that you find ways to let your customers know they can find what they want with your products. And when you do it well, psychologically, there is a click. You will be remembered and chosen above others and gain loyalty.

Achieving brand desire requires intimacy. It works in your favour to open up a little. On social media, it looks like inviting your audience into the brand conversation, getting vulnerable, and letting them see the real you. It uses symbols that represent the audience’s aspirations. Explicitly or implicity, you weave your brand into the consumer’s psyche so that they can identify with you. Once they do, a deep connection is formed, and desire is developed.

The brand Hermes has built so much desire around its luxury product, the Birkin bag. The premium price tag means not everyone will buy one, but fans with brand desire will settle for a lower-entry product such as Hermes’ scarves. By purchasing a scarf, consumers can experience the brand at a lower price bracket where they will have their desire met and afford to keep coming back.

If you can use social media to build high levels of desire for your brand, expect to yield good long-term financial results for the long term.

I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you have, please share with your social media networks and leave a comment below, sharing your thoughts and experiences.

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