Though social media presence and strategy is critical in areas such as the fashion and food industries, it is important for almost all companies and products to create, maintain, nurture and grow their visibility online. Regardless of the nature of your business, these tips can give your social media strategies a lift and give you brand awareness in a crowded online marketplace. A forward-thinking, hands-on, digital media focus can enhance brand identity by getting, and holding, attention in even the most competitive digital spaces.
- Define your Brand, Create your Personality
- Get Talked About, Stay Relevant Creating a buzz through social media can be difficult, but when it is done well, it can also be invaluable. With a constantly shifting social media focus, staying relevant and remaining in the public consciousness is becoming ever more critical for success. Whether it is through a sustained social media campaign or a well-run, targeted PR campaign, staying front and center, or at least in the line of vision, is critical. Get noticed, make a splash and use every social media channel that is appropriate for your brand to stay relevant. Keep the conversations going on each channel, as consistency is key. And running a carefully planned influencer campaign that utilizes the online power of on-brand bloggers, editors, and other influencers can help a great deal.
- Create a Connection It may seem obvious, but creating a connection with your target audience through rich, visual content on social media is a must. With so many products and services available, creating that personal connection could mean the difference between a lifetime of loyalty from a consumer and never getting a moment's recognition.
- Promote with a Perfect Picture In the current climate of visual social media, it is critical to put a strategy into place, and realize that every image you publish on social is a reflection of your brand. For many industries, it is all about making the image as stunning, captivating and enchanting as possible. If this visual media is used well and strategically, it can leave a vivid impression with the recipient, creating a sense of desire. Grab the attention, stir the imagination and use unique strategies whenever you can. It has been said that social media and visual technology has put the power back into the hands of brands (versus the established media) and, if harnessed well, it can certainly do wonders for your brand awareness.
- Manage your Message When it comes to getting your message across on various social media sites and apps, one size does not fit all. Using the same marketing method or content for multiple media networks may be the quickest method but, in most cases, it is often the least effective. Remember, your audience expects each differing social media network to deliver their information in a way that is tailor made for that particular medium.
- Everyone loves a good story...so tell one
As any successful company is likely to tell you, creating and defining your brand identity is imperative. Whether a television network or a soft drink company, a tech giant or a car manufacturer, how people perceive your company is critical. Social media has taken brand identity to the next level, so use that to your advantage. Companies that work to define a clear strategy on how to speak to their fans and consumers on social networks and then execute those strategies skillfully are never out of the conversation or far from the consciousness of the consumer. The first step is to decide who you are, what your brand ethos is, what your voice will be, and what types of content you'd like to publish.
From relevant hashtags to striking images, targeted social media contests to fan forums, there are many ways to speak to and connect with your audience.
Bringing your brand to life in a way that genuinely excites a customer is important, so figure out who your target audience is and learn how to speak to them in a way that gets through and creates an emotional, lasting tie.
Whether promoting a product, person or a company, it is all about engaging the customer with a great storyline. Through brief, verbal snippets on Twitter, longer content on Facebook, captivating images on Instagram, or a brand blog/Tumblr, there is a plethora of ways to tell people the story of your brand in a way that will speak to them and establish an emotional connection. Take some time to determine what story or stories you'd like to tell and then plot out how you will use each channel to portray that message.