There are no shortcuts that a brand can resort to that would help to boost its image on social media. For a brand to be sustainable, it has to consistently engage with its audience. It takes consistent and regular exposure. This means providing value for the target audience on social media. Brands which use social media successfully plan their social media content and distribution in a very strategic way. This does not mean that social media sites should be cluttered with too much information. The aim of a brand should be to stand out and not to be noisy. Given below are some steps that a brand can take that will help it to build its social media presence.
Provide value
A business should provide valuable information on social media most of the time. The emphasis is on ‘social’ and not ‘selling’. A business has to understandably sell its products and services. Businesses that are successful on social media give a lot of valuable information on a consistent basis. They become ready resources for many people who treat the brand as an entity whose blogs they must read. When a brand becomes a resource, it draws more people to its site. Beneficial ideas must be given to the target audience most of the time with just enough selling to let the audience know that the brand is in business. Talking about events like a big sporting event or the final episode of a TV show helps to grab the attention of a key market.
Choose the right social media channel
Some businesses might not need to explore all social media channels in one go. It is wise to pick a couple of channels which seem aligned with the core values of a brand. Social media channels should be selected according to their relevance to a business. For instance, Twitter is a great channel for startups as it helps to get real- time responses from existing and potential customers. For recruitment and industry specific news, LinkedIn is more appropriate.
Solve problems
It is important to find out key problems that the target audience experiences. Then posts, blogs, and tweets can address those problems immediately. Questions about those problems should be framed in such a way that it would grab attention. A business should have the knowledge of key terms, problem areas, and solutions that are unique to its audience. It should end up being a resource that its audience cannot find elsewhere and this would make them want to engage with the social presence of a brand more.
Create a memorable visual identity
Creating content is not enough, the content created has to be instantly recognizable and associated with a brand. The content should be about topics that the target audience sincerely wants to know about. It should also have a consistent look and feel as the rest of the branding. For instance, pantone uses user generated content on its Instagram, the content has bright colors that grab the attention of the audience. The brand also uses copy with punny language.
Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5W. Follow him on Instagram at ronn_torossian
