The way customers view a company’s brand has changed significantly during the last twenty-five years. In the not too distant past, the quality of a product was the reason a customer connected with a brand; in the digital age consumers not only want quality but a brand with which they identify. Image and having a worldview are now nearly as relevant as quality. It is vital to recognize that paradigm and how it correlates to social media.
Doing Everything Right is Not Enough
Your company may have a branding style guide that denotes what colors, images, fonts, and language should be used. Your website is interesting, and your web host is quick with no downtime. Your website perfectly conveys your brand, and you have begun a campaign to better your SEO. You are even attempting to build your brand with a PPC campaign. Even if you do everything right things with your branding, but you ignore your social media, you are behind in the game. An effective inbound marketing campaign in the twenty-first century must include social media. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are currently the best platforms to reach your target demographic and build your brand at little to no cost.
Here are a few tips on how your company can utilize social media to build its brand.
Be Present
It’s useless to have social media accounts if you only post once every six days regarding a company event. To strengthen your brand on social media, you should post content a few times a day. Develop a voice for your company when posting and be consistent. Do you want your posts to be informative, establish you as an authority, or be humorous? Wendy’s has mastered social media by “roasting” their customers. They are so good at it that customers ask to be insulted, but it is done in a lighthearted way. Humour may not fit your company’s identity (such as funeral homes), but your social media voice must fit your brand and post often.
Since the start of social media, one thing has remained true; users react better with accounts that interact with them. If there is a trending subject or hashtag, which is relevant to your company, it is prudent to post in connection with the trend. Another useful practice is to comment on the posts of your followers. This action makes posts about your business, and customers feel less spammy. It also shows that you care about them as individuals. Scheduling apps like Buffer can be used to post overnight, so your account is active around the clock; be sure to answer any customer responses to your post the next morning.
Use Imagery Which Conveys Your Brand
Remember, when posting on social media, it is crucial to use brand recognized language and images. Numerous studies have revealed that the use of images holds a user’s attention. Use engaging images that relate to what your post is regarding and your company’s brand. Don’t post the same image on all platforms, as each image should fit the atmosphere of the platform on which it is posted. Check out the best practices for posting images for a given platform before posting. Images give a useful opportunity to tell what your company’s brand is all about and create brand loyalty.
Use Your Profile to Express Your Brand
Your profile should be distinct and actually express your company’s brand. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to create a profile that communicates your brand. Be clear who your company is and what its values are in the bio. A picture of your logo that is clear and can easily be read is imperative; using a low-quality logo in your profile broadcasts an unprofessional image to potential customers. Use images in your banners on social media in line with your brand and can evoke positive thoughts from customers. If you are a cruise line, a sunset over the water with the silhouette of a ship instantly relays what your company does. Make sure you link to your URL and your other social media accounts. Create a bio that clearly states who your company is and its core business.
Be Fun
Again, it’s relative to what your business does, but post entertaining items regarding holidays or a positive event that has caught the public’s attention; it will make your social media account seem more personal, and customers will relate better to your company.
Videos are Key
Video is predicted to be upwards of 70% of internet traffic by 2021. Social media has always given preference to posts with video clips so that forecast is not surprising. If you can produce high-quality videos about your company, you can convey your brand even more effectively.
To Sum Up
If your company follows these tips, it will help to enhance your branding on social media!
For more information on how Incend Media can help you contact us today.