The Importance of Agency-Client Trust for Effective Community Management
For a long time I’ve been shouting about the importance of Community Management to shape brand identity. I wrote a blog about this around 2 years ago, and yet, still, this is an area I see time and time again neglected in client briefs for social. Since, I have seen that if it’s not a budget issue, it’s a trust issue. Today I want to talk about the importance of trust between agency and client relationships. You will find most if not all of the leading brands on social, have put community management at the forefront of their strategy.
Community Management should not be seen as a nice to have, but a necessity to building authentic, engaged audiences online.
Community Management goes beyond ‘support’, it’s about relationships. Refy recently took a fresh approach to ‘brand trips’ by shifting the focus away from influencers and instead inviting loyal everyday followers who were genuine fans of the brand to be a part of their ‘community trip’. Refy has community at the heart of their brand strategy and as a result it has allowed them to create more meaningful and authentic connections on social. By prioritising these engaged followers, Refy not only cultivated organic, genuine content but also strengthened brand loyalty by rewarding their community. This will encourage their community to engage further on social, to be a part of the rewards.
Social is fast paced and, quite frankly, in 2024 community is where it’s at. For Community Management to truly thrive, success starts with not only trusting your agency to cultivate the right tone and approach but also allowing the time and freedom to deliver real value in a genuine, human way.
At Wilderness, building trust is at the forefront of every client relationship we begin and the key to our most effective collaborations. Without it, even the most adventurous of agencies can end up restricted and unable to authentically engage communities or react quickly to trends, manage sentiment and engage in relevant conversation.
When working with our clients we always begin by looking at the operation of the business and how social feeds into the wider processes. We then identify how we can refine these to enable agile ways of working.
Below are some steps we work towards with our clients to help establish trust:
Set Clear Expectations: From the outset, establish clear goals, guidelines, and boundaries. This gives us as an agency a framework in which we can operate with confidence.
Encourage Open Communication: Regular check-ins and honest conversations about what is and isn’t working helps build trust. Give feedback, but also be open to our ideas and expertise.
Allow Room for Flexibility: Social media is unpredictable. Clients giving us the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances without needing to seek approval for every small decision goes a long way.
Trust the Process: It takes time, but it’s important to remember as an agency, we know social best. Clients trusting us to do the job right allows the freedom to execute strategies with our clients best interests at heart.
The above leads to:
Quick decision-making
Fostering brand authenticity
Maximising creativity
Ensuring consistency
Building a stronger partnership
We have learnt trust doesn’t happen overnight; it’s built. At Wilderness our core client values are the following:
WE ARE a transparent, transformative extension of your team.
WE ARE direct.
WE ARE change makers.
WE ARE collaborative.
As an agency, we understand that achieving complete autonomy with community management can be challenging. However, by building trust and gaining a deep understanding of our clients' operations, boundaries, and challenges, we equip ourselves with the knowledge needed to stay reactive and responsive to strengthen our clients social presence through true connection. Trusting your agency allows us to make decisions efficiently, keeping your brand relevant and responsive.
