The Importance of Social Media Marketing
Social media is of growing importance when it comes to branding; more and more people are using platforms like Facebook and Twitter to learn more about businesses, products and services from specific brands. With 90 per cent of consumers more likely to recommend brands after interacting with them on social media, the advantages of branding through social networks are clear.
In recent years, studies have highlighted just how vital social media is for businesses building their brands – more than 60 per cent of people researching products online take a look at companies’ social media presence before making the decision to engage with a brand. Using social media can help your firm establish cohesive branding across all mediums, providing a platform for informing and interacting with your audience.
Social media allows for meaningful, two-way conversations, which in turn can help brands build deep connections with audiences. Consumers can use your social pages to look for reviews, see how your brand responds to questions, engage with relevant content and much more. Keep reading for 8 ways to build your brand through social media.
1. A united front
There are dozens of social networks out there and although you might be tempted to showcase your brand on the network you most often use, or are most comfortable with, it’s important to take a comprehensive approach to brand building. Different social mediums are used by different people across various demographics so, while it makes sense to target the biggest and most popular networks, you could be missing out on connections or consumers by overlooking other social platforms or using a single social site alone. LinkedIn is an ideal platform for building your brand among a professional network, while Tumblr is great for creating short blogs and developing a cult following, for example.
2. The right reputation
Social media is where many people voice their opinions and it’s often possible to see what people have to say about brands by scanning the comments on their social network pages. The world of social media is a unique means of creating real connections with audiences and building the perception of your brand, so spending time answering queries with polite responses in a timely manner, producing relevant and engaging content geared to your audience and interacting with consumers directly can go a long way towards helping you establish a positive brand reputation.
3. Regular as clockwork
In the same way that regularly updating your website shows that your brand is progressive and still in business, making sure your social media pages are updated regularly can help audiences work out how well-established your online business identity is, the level of interaction they can expect from you if they need to get in touch and what sort of content your produce, as well as how often. You might not be able to post engaging images every day but sticking to a routine can help build confidence in your brand and engage your audience on a regular basis.
4. A personal touch
To establish strong connections with your audience, imparting a personal touch can give consumers the attention they deserve – and social media is the perfect place to build such relationships. Consumers looking to interact with your brand won’t want to feel like they’re engaging with a corporate robot – they will appreciate one-to-one interaction with a real representative who provides high levels of customer care. When interacting with audiences on social media, keep the tone friendly and clear, avoiding jargon or industry-specific speak that won’t be understood by everyone.
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5. Interest-grabbing
For many people, social media is as much a place for news-gathering as it is for interacting with friends, families and brands, so producing and sharing interesting content that is relevant to your target audience can help spark interest and keep consumers engaged. Creating or sharing blog posts, releasing brand news, shining the spotlight on specific products or producing content that ties in with current trends or pop culture can all be useful ways of attracting and holding the interest of your audience. If what you create and share is always relevant, you can expect your audience to return to your social pages again and again for updates.
6. Give something back
In the current economic climate, value for money and bargain-hunting are increasingly part of everyday life for many people; providing special offers or deals for your audience using social media networks not only increases engagement and feelings of value among your audience – it can also boost your brand’s reputation and translate to an uptick in sales. An audience that feels valued is more likely to engage with brands again, while sharing special offers or discount codes can also help boost your brand’s reach, as those who already connect with you may share updates among their connections on social platforms.
7. Ban sales speak
When using social media to promote and build your brand, it’s important to remember that your newsfeed is not an extension of the sales department; audiences are less likely to interact with posts that simply try to sell them something. The term ‘social media’ hints at how brands are best off using platforms: to inform, interact and generate interest – not solely to advertise. Social pages can be used to highlight products or services but these sorts of posts require some thought; using engaging images and words, highlighting a deal or making a reference to something current and interesting can ensure audiences don’t perceive posts to be too sales-centric.
8. Take responsibility
Often, consumers want to interact with brands over the course of the day but are restricted by work or other responsibilities – social media is becoming an extra stream for customer service as people get in touch directly through social platforms, rather than making expensive phone calls or taking trips into physical premises. Your brand can expect some direct interaction over social media and the response should be of the same high standard as that offered through your other channels. To ensure your brand can provide the best level of service, it can be constructive to assign someone in the team the job of managing your social networks, or even outsourcing the task – especially during out-of-hours periods – allowing you to keep on top of maintaining your branding.
Lessons on building your brand with social media – In the News
CNBC.com recently provided tips on how to build your brand using social media marketing. We all know the risks associated with technology and, more specifically, social media in the workplace.
Photos of CEOs in compromising situations. Videos posted to Facebooks of employees in company attire behaving badly. Bomb threats linked with executives inadvertently sharing confidential travel details on Twitter. I’ve also seen cases—more than you might think—of workplaces becoming casualties of bad breakups, a disgruntled half of a couple circulating inappropriate content among co-workers, typically through a smartphone contact list.
So how do you ensure that all social media content related to your company or product is on-brand? Read more about social media…
NetEvents Inc. specializes in social media management. Give us a call 289-474-5447 or toll-free at 866-906-6911 for a free social media audit. Remember Be Social!