In these challenging economic times, it’s important to have a familiar, trustworthy brand. That’s because customers are more likely to spend their scarce resources with a company they know and feel comfortable with. And since 69 percent of Americans use social media, it’s the primary place to make people aware of your brand.

There are two types of branding:

  • the name, slogan, and logo of your company
  • your company’s reputation

They’re both important, but the reputation you build in everything you do—from the quality of your product or service, to its value in the customer’s mind, to the way you and your staff interact with customers, to how you respond to customer complaints—largely determines the success of your business.

So how can you make the most of your social media presence to improve your brand?

  1. Know Your Audience

Because none of us has unlimited amounts of time, you won’t be able to post on every social media platform and do it effectively, unless you have 101 Management, Inc., manage all your posts for you.

So if you know where your audience primarily hangs out, you can focus your efforts on the one or two platforms where they’re most likely to see your message.

It’s also a mistake to try to appeal to everyone. If you focus your branding efforts on your niche market, you’ll be far more successful than if you try to be all things to all people.

        2. Brand Everything

No matter what platform you’re on, always include your company’s logo in any communication with fans. (And if you don’t have a memorable logo, let our branding experts help you create one.)

And maintain a consistent tone in your posts. Determine ahead of time the type of voice you’ll present online: professional, playful, humorous, cynical, friendly . . . Pick one and stick with it. Otherwise, you risk coming across to fans as insincere or worse, untrustworthy.

Speaking of trustworthiness, always be honest with fans and customers. This is part of your brand. If you’re having supply chain issues, let them know. Don’t be defensive or resistant to criticism. Apologize for any errors, and ask for a second chance.

Be sure to show regular behind-the-scenes glimpses of you and your employees, and tell stories about your products or services. This helps humanize your brand in people’s minds.

        3. Offer Great Content

“Great” doesn’t mean that everything you post has to go viral. It means providing unique, interesting, useful, or entertaining content that will engage fans and make them want to keep you at the top of their feed.

Remember that social media goes both ways. Don’t just put out content. Treat social media interactions as conversations. Ask your fans’ opinions. Ask them to share your posts. Request feedback, and respond to it. Ask for testimonials you can post, and be sure to thank the person when you get theirs.

And take advantage of user-generated content (UGC) to show real people engaging with your product or service. This helps potential customers see themselves using your product, and subconsciously reinforces their desire to purchase it.

          4. Focus on Your Customers

Of course, you’ll have testimonials featured on your website, but when you’re posting on social media, focus less on patting yourself/your company on the back and more on how you can help your customers.

Besides, the one thing we’re always the most interested in is ourselves. So the more your posts consist of ways you can solve your customers’ problems, provide helpful advice they can use, or even offer humorous tidbits or positive messages to help brighten their day, the more they’ll keep coming back to you.

On the other hand, you are a business, after all, so there’s nothing wrong with including a call-to-action or a featured product or an upcoming sale in your posts from time to time.

           5. Be Careful

If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you’re aware of how many celebrities, influencers, and politicians have gotten into trouble—or even lost their careers—for a single thoughtless post or retweet, or link on social media.

It’s possible they were trying to be clever, humorous, or even helpful, but many paid big-time for their mistake.

Remember, you’ve worked hard to create a positive image of your brand. So before you hit the send button, stop and think: Can this reflect negatively on my business? Will some current or potential customers take offense? If in doubt, don’t post it.

And if you need help creating and maintaining a memorable brand, be sure to consult with our branding experts. We have helped hundreds of companies successfully brand their companies in people’s minds, so contact us today!