Using Social Media To Reinforce Brand Identity
Your brand identity communicates your business' central message to customers and potential clients, and in order to keep your message alive and well, you have to "feed" it.
That means every time you reach out to your customer base, you have to reinforce your corporate brand identity.
And the key is to keep your message consistent - especially in the social media arena.
Be consistent.
Your brand is your identity, and so you're going to want to provide the same messaging, no matter what media you use - from an informal online message board to a high-linen letterhead, or from radio to television to YouTube videos.
The way you present your message shouldn't alter the content, but it may change the voice behind it.
That being said, you don't want to be too informal.
This is your corporate site.
Reserve the pictures of your children, what you did on vacation and a particularly frustrating customer experience for your personal sites.
You'll also want to steer clear of possible inflammatory situations - keep religion, politics and other powder kegs off the page.
Be active.
Post early, post often and remember to check back frequently.
That 24-hour response time window doesn't apply online, and customers can expect answers even sooner than one business day.
Your ability to respond quickly helps reinforce your brand's identity immeasurably.
And your daily posts keep your name out there and in the forefront.
Engage your group.
Online is where you can interact in a variety of ways, and you can leverage this to your advantage.
Post timely content, and then solicit responses by asking open-ended questions.
"What's your biggest challenge when...
?" "What's your best memory of...
?" Recognize participants, keep the conversation going and you'll have a great two-way talk that builds your online community, and more importantly, reinforces how your community feels about you.
An open attitude can also help your customers feel more comfortable telling you about problems...
and even the great experiences they had.
Link your sites.
Your visibility increases when your Facebook, Twitter and corporate web sites all talk to one another.
There are a number of online programs and smart phone applications that will link all of them together, and it can help potential customers find you in a variety of ways.
Smart phone users access social media sites to stay in touch.
Use social media to reinforce your brand identity, and you'll have the potential to reach out to your audience and engage in conversations you might not normally have.
You'll be more informed on who your customers are, what they want, how they feel about you and what keeps their business.
Social media makes you accessible, and that can be one of the best, most economical ways to establish your name and your brand's identity.
That means every time you reach out to your customer base, you have to reinforce your corporate brand identity.
And the key is to keep your message consistent - especially in the social media arena.
Be consistent.
Your brand is your identity, and so you're going to want to provide the same messaging, no matter what media you use - from an informal online message board to a high-linen letterhead, or from radio to television to YouTube videos.
The way you present your message shouldn't alter the content, but it may change the voice behind it.
That being said, you don't want to be too informal.
This is your corporate site.
Reserve the pictures of your children, what you did on vacation and a particularly frustrating customer experience for your personal sites.
You'll also want to steer clear of possible inflammatory situations - keep religion, politics and other powder kegs off the page.
Be active.
Post early, post often and remember to check back frequently.
That 24-hour response time window doesn't apply online, and customers can expect answers even sooner than one business day.
Your ability to respond quickly helps reinforce your brand's identity immeasurably.
And your daily posts keep your name out there and in the forefront.
Engage your group.
Online is where you can interact in a variety of ways, and you can leverage this to your advantage.
Post timely content, and then solicit responses by asking open-ended questions.
"What's your biggest challenge when...
?" "What's your best memory of...
?" Recognize participants, keep the conversation going and you'll have a great two-way talk that builds your online community, and more importantly, reinforces how your community feels about you.
An open attitude can also help your customers feel more comfortable telling you about problems...
and even the great experiences they had.
Link your sites.
Your visibility increases when your Facebook, Twitter and corporate web sites all talk to one another.
There are a number of online programs and smart phone applications that will link all of them together, and it can help potential customers find you in a variety of ways.
Smart phone users access social media sites to stay in touch.
Use social media to reinforce your brand identity, and you'll have the potential to reach out to your audience and engage in conversations you might not normally have.
You'll be more informed on who your customers are, what they want, how they feel about you and what keeps their business.
Social media makes you accessible, and that can be one of the best, most economical ways to establish your name and your brand's identity.
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