Building Your Brand Through Social Media
Your online presence can showcase your values and professional skills when you engage in social media, whether it’s occasionally or regularly. Everything you create, share, or react to contributes to a public image that reflects you.
Investing time and resources into your social media branding is essential. It’s widely recognized by both business and consumer marketers that social media is a critical aspect of brand building. With over 3.8 billion active social media users as of 2020, it’s a substantial platform for reaching a vast audience. More than 80% of consumers are likely to consider brands they follow on social media for solutions.
In the past, branding relied on print media, broadcast ads, and newsletters. However, since Facebook’s emergence over a decade ago, social media has become a powerful marketing tool. Despite some uncertainties surrounding social media strategies, this article delves into effective ways to build your brand through social media.
Understanding Branding
Branding goes beyond just creating attractive logos or color schemes; it’s about shaping how people perceive your product, business, or even you personally. A successful brand is about ensuring people have the impression you want them to have. This requires a consistent approach in all interactions with your customers.
Using Social Media for Branding
You don’t need to be active on every social media platform. Instead, identify which sites best suit your brand. For example, Facebook is generally better for targeting older demographics, while Instagram appeals more to younger users. Research your target audience, develop detailed personas, and create a comprehensive strategy to identify the most vital social networks for reaching your goals.
Focus on creating consistent, quality content and connecting with your audience, rather than striving for unattainable numbers of followers. Building a solid following takes time and careful planning. Consider using brand guidelines templates to help define your online presence.
Creating a Strong Brand Identity
Authenticity is key. Show your genuine self or the real side of your organization. Entrepreneurs can share posts about their daily routines, while organizations might share pictures of employees or events. Users crave authenticity, and showing your human side can prevent your brand from becoming faceless and impersonal.
Hiring Help for Social Media
Building your brand on social media requires more than just posting regularly. A well-thought-out strategy is crucial. Hiring a social media assistant can provide expert advice and free up time for you to focus on other tasks. If a full-time assistant is too costly, consider a remote social media assistant. These professionals are skilled in managing social media campaigns and can deliver comparable results at a lower cost.
Strategies for Gaining Followers and Building Presence
1. Update Your Social Media Accounts
Decide which social media accounts to focus on and delete any unused ones. Ensure your active profiles are complete and accurate, directing traffic to the accounts that best showcase your work.
2. Publish Regularly
Consistency is key in social media. Develop a content calendar to maintain a steady flow of posts. Alternate promotional content with posts that provide value to maintain a balanced feed. Schedule updates in advance to save time and avoid lower-quality posts.
3. Engage with Social Media Groups
Join relevant groups and communities within your industry. This is an excellent way to interact with your audience and share valuable information. Engage in conversations without focusing solely on marketing.
4. Humanize Your Brand
Follow the 80–20 rule: share 80% educational content and 20% promotional content. Showing the human side of your brand fosters deeper connections and builds trust and loyalty. Move away from corporate jargon and engage with your audience in a relatable manner.
5. Use Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool. Influencers create engaging content like videos and reels that can reach a wide audience. Consider hiring influencers or using influencer marketing software to identify and collaborate with the right partners for your brand.
Final Note
While social media is an excellent tool for boosting your online presence, increased competition makes it vital to stand out. Use social media effectively to keep your audience engaged and interested.
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Nathan Mckinley
137 Followers
Business Development Manager at Cerdonis Technologies LLC, a Mobile App Development Company in Chicago, USA. I possess extensive knowledge of the latest technology trends.