Using Social Media As a Brand Platform

Did you know that Facebook and Twitter each have over 500 million users (and counting)? That means your ideal audience is on these platforms—and just a status update or tweet away from connecting with your brand.

While many businesses have already figured out that social media is an affordable and easy way to reach prospective clients, many of these savvy marketers still have no idea how to use these outlets to their full potential.

So log into your accounts and start taking notes. Here are some best practices for using social media as a brand platform:

Build your base. To escape the fate of anonymity, build your fan base and followers by offering “like” or “follow me” incentives, like a freebie of some sort. Once you have your base, continue to offer content your prospective customers want. This means posting funny or interesting photos, helpful links, and asking questions to get your networks involved in the conversation. Remember, there’s no quicker way to get lost in the real-time Twitter feed or the cracks of the Newsfeed than to post content your fans don’t care about.

Respond to your fans. It never feels good to get the cold shoulder when you stick your neck out and post a comment for the world to see. Don’t leave your fans hanging. When they reach out to connect with your brand, be sure to respond in a thoughtful and timely fashion. This illustrates that you care about your fans, and in turn, you care about your customers, too.

Humanize your brand. One of the key benefits of having an active social media presence for your company is that these mediums give you the chance to humanize your business. It’s no secret that people want to deal with people, not faceless companies. Every time you tweet or post a status update that showcases your likeable brand voice, culture, and tone, you’re connecting a human quality to your company. In turn, these interactions establish loyal relationships with your followers and fans.

Don’t be afraid to be a little personal (while remaining professional, of course). Share an interesting article you read that morning, or post pictures of your employees’ cute dogs. Social media gives you the rare opportunity to loosen the tie and be a little more informal. Take advantage of it, and you’ll find a rapt audience for your brand.

Be consistent. A social media brand platform takes maintenance in order to be effective. This means every day, you must offer fresh content to engage your audience. While social media is here to stay, the breakneck pace of these site means you have to keep up, or your brand will be left behind.

Does your brand need more love? Check out how we can take your social media marketing to the next level!