On the list of questions every business owner is asking these days is “How can I use social media to market my business and build my brand online?” Much has been written about this topic, but all advice is not created equal. Some tips rise to the top. Here are the best ways to build your business’ brand on social media.
Apply Your Branding Consistently
You’ve (hopefully) already put resources into creating a great brand for your company, with a logo, tagline, color-scheme and other elements. The first thing to do on social media is to apply your brand elements faithfully across each platform you join. Design the header of your account using your logo, company colors and images that match your branding.
Create a Brand Voice & Tone
Writing for social media is somewhat different than the writing you usually do. You’ll be writing short and you’ll be expected to have a personality. Bland corporate communications find little purchase on social. Think about how to adapt your brand approach to a voice and tone that will engage people on social platforms.
Choose Your Platforms Carefully
Trying to create content for accounts on every social platform will quickly become a full-time job — and then some! It’s a better strategy to focus your attention on a just a few platforms where your audience is most likely to be active. Figuring out which platforms are best might require some market research, including seeking feedback about social usage from your current customers.
Jump on Trending Topics
Social runs on trends, so you’ll be far more likely to get traction and attract attention if you stay abreast of the latest and find brand-appropriate ways to engage on those topics. Which trending topics you comment on and what you say will depend in large part on your brand tone and voice, but the goal is to make sure whatever you post is adding something fresh to an ongoing conversation.
Keep Posting Day In, Day Out
Social media is like a voracious beast that will keep on eating… and eating. The need to keep posting day in, day out is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for companies trying to build their brand on social. Anticipate this relentless need and put resources in place to ensure your company can meet it. That likely means tasking a specific employee with creating social content and giving them enough time to generate it. Also build in time for them to actively engage your company’s audience on these platforms.
Engage with Your Followers
Social media is called “social” for a reason — it’s all about interacting with others. This gives you a golden opportunity to talk directly with your audience and build up their trust in you. Make sure you’re not thinking of your social accounts as bulletin boards where you post your messages and walk away. Think of them instead as dynamic portals into the world of your potential customers — the more you reach through that portal, the more interest you’ll draw in.
Work with Influencers
Influencers constitute a whole new niche in the marketing industry. They cultivate high levels of trust and hold a remarkable power of persuasion with their followers. By working with influencers, you can reach a highly invested audience in your niche and immediately grow your exposure exactly where you need to. The catch is that it is typically costly to work with these online professionals, so this option should be a carefully considered part of a larger social strategy that you’re investing in.
Know & Use Your Metrics
Before you start posting on social, make a plan that outlines what metrics you’ll be measuring to judge how your brand-building efforts are progressing. Learn how to track these metrics and then consistently assess how you’re doing so you can change your strategy to improve. Metrics can provide insight into areas where developing your social efforts are likely to be most effective.
Following these top tips will help you jump-start your progress in building your brand on social. Applying this advice consistently over time is guaranteed to help you make great use of this powerful digital marketing avenue.
Have More Questions?
Reach out to SCORE for free, expert mentoring and resources to guide you through your small business journey. In addition, if you have managerial and/or business ownership experience and would like to consider giving back to the community by being a business mentor, please visit centraloregon.score.org and click on the “volunteer” button.
