<p>You love your logo, your website advertises your company to anyone willing to click on your site, and you have a brochure that perfectly depicts your product or service. In short, you have a good brand and it’s working for you. So why bother with social media? Social media experts come and go in our mercurial technology environment, but what everyone seems to agree on is that, if done well, it’s a place to deepen relationships with your customers. Better relationships mean more loyalty to you and whatever you’re selling. And that can eventually mean more sales.</p>
<p>The point is not to throw away your traditional branding but to integrate that together with some form of social media presence. Social media’s right-now quality will connect you with your audience in new and surprising ways. It can add credibility to your brand. Plus it’s an excellent networking tool. The larger brands are using social media, and other companies can learn from their successes.</p>
<p>Here’s what Zappos said about Twitter and building brand: <a href="http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=9645917&amp;msgid=139593&amp;act=RVD1&amp;c=202441&amp;admin=0&amp;destination=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fzappos">Tony Hsieh,</a> CEO of Zappos.com said, “We’ve found that Twitter has been a great way for us to connect on a more personal level with our employees and customers. We use it to help build our brand, not drive direct sales. In the long term, Twitter helps drive repeat customers and word of mouth.”</p>
<p>Sounds great, right? So here are 3 key points that will get you started as you build (or maintain) your social media brand presence. </p>
<p><strong>1) It’s all about relationships.</strong> Your brand grows every day through interactions with new people. In the social media world, these people want to know the real story. So tell it to them. Personalize your communication, be genuine about who you are as a company and your customers will resonate with your message. And don’t be pushy about the sales, since you’re looking to build brand first.</p>
<p><strong>2) Be transparent.</strong> If you’re selling your brand in a social media forum, be upfront! Don’t try to disguise it as anything other than promoting your brand because people will click away from in-authenticity. And this is a waste, because you’ve just lost a little bit of credibility. Or maybe a lot. So don’t be a boring marketer officiously dispensing information from the top down. I like Target’s approach on Facebook. The company doesn’t hide its logo (brand presence) or the fact that it is promoting itself. Its profile reads like it’s another Facebook user, so no tiresome corporate speak. Here’s what the profile says: “For true devoted Target shoppers. And it’s also a good thing if you actually LOVE to shop at Target, if you don’t like Target, then don’t join!” Humorous and honest, it makes me want to stay awhile. And it serves to deepen the Target brand.</p>
<p><strong>3) Word of mouth is your brand-building partner.</strong> Social media is the ultimate word-of-mouth forum. If you have a great product or service, and your customer knows about it, you will be rewarded with more buzz. Many companies are hesitant to put their brand out there, because they think it’s a vulnerable place. But happy customers will reward you by acting as brand advocates more powerfully than any paid advertising could accomplish.</p>
<p>This should get you started. See you online!</p>
2009-01-27T02:44:07Z
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stop-hidingintroduce-your-brand-to-social-media
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2009-01-30T17:11:16Z
2009-01-30T17:11:16Z
Social media doesn't replace brand presence, but works with it to deepen relationships with your customers. The result is more loyalty. And if your customers are happy, they will act as your brand advocate more powerfully than any advertising could!
Stop Hiding—Introduce Your Brand to Social Media
0
2009-02-24T09:48:54Z