There are many ways that you can use social media to achieve your business goals. Here are 5 social media branding strategies that can take your business to the next level.
Amplify Your Business
Regardless of how you use social media, it is important that you do it with a smart strategy. Social media can be utilized for things like social selling, content marketing, customer support, digital brand building, and more.
However, with so many options, platforms, and competition, achieving your social media branding goals can seem like an impossible task. If you feel like your digital brand is getting lost in the social media jungle, here are 5 social media branding strategies that can help you get results.
1. Choose The Right Networks For Your Digital Brand
There are countless social media networks out there, and new ones pop up all the time. While you might feel like you have to be on all of them to get traction, this is not true. Not every social network will be the ideal fit for your company. The key is to find the networks where your ideal customer spends their time and your brand can shine.
For instance, TikTok is an incredibly trendy social network, and one of the most recent additions to the social media landscape. In the first quarter of 2018 alone it was downloaded over 45 million times globally, making it the most downloaded non-game app in the Apple app store.
Do Your Research
Based on that alone, many people would feel obligated to put their brand on TikTok.
However, it is important to look deeper. The majority of TikTok’s users are between 16-24 years old. So, if you are, for example, a knife company that caters to restaurant industry professionals, TikTok would likely be a poor social choice for your brand. TikTok’s high school and college-aged users are probably not who you want to target.
Know your target audience, find out where they hang out on social media and post there.
If you want to do more research on your audience, take a look at our guide to marrying Google Analytics and social media.
2. Don’t Forget About Visual Branding
It’s no secret that visuals play a big part in any company’s social media success. One of the most important social media strategies is having cohesive branding across platforms, so customers and followers always know it’s you.
One brand that does this very well is Adidas. When you look at their Facebook:
Instagram:
And Twitter:
It is all very cohesive. Across social media, Adidas uses the same stark minimal aesthetic. Also, they use a singular color palette and logo and you should too.
Some Helpful Visual Social Media Branding Strategies
When it comes to crafting your social media image, nothing is unimportant and nothing should happen by accident. If you choose to filter your images on social media, stick to the same few filters to keep things looking cohesive.
You can also create templates for different graphics. You can do this using Photoshops, or free apps like Canva. That way, you can be certain that your graphics stay consistent.
3. Be Authentic
Whatever voice you develop on social media, make sure it is authentic to your brand and business. Social media trends and memes can change faster than you can blink, and their context can often be tricky. So, trying too hard to mimic them can backfire.
Ultimately, consumers want to work with and make purchases from brands that they feel like they can trust. If you are authentic, customers will value that.
You can choose for your brand voice to have an ironic sense of humor like Taco Bell:
You can also opt for your brand voice to be intellectual and elegant on social media like Alexander McQueen’s Instagram:
You can also be like Coca-Cola, who keeps their digital branding endlessly optimistic and visually appealing, as is expressed by their colorful and positive Instagram feed:
Whatever voice you choose, it needs to make sense for your business and brand and stay consistent. Regardless of where your brand appears online, your content should always reflect its values.
SEE ALSO: How Consumers Want Brands to Act on Social Media
4. Post Regularly
You can have truly sparkling content, but if you post irregularly or barely at all, it is unlikely that you will build up a following online. There are so many accounts posting so much content every second of every day that if you are posting monthly or less, your brand will not be able to compete.
However, there is no single one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to how often you should be posting. You want to post at different days and times on different networks. Try different types of content too and see what does the best. Also, always track the analytics of anything you post to see who is looking at your content and who is interacting with it so you can understand your reach.
Over time, you will be able to determine what times and days work best for your brand. However, you have to start somewhere in order to collect data and strengthen your social media strategies.
SEE ALSO: How Often to Post on Social Media
5. Remember To Be Social
It’s called social media for a reason. If the only time you go on social media is to post, you are essentially having a conversation with yourself. The whole point of social media is to connect with customers, influencers, and other brands to bolster your business.
While creating good content is important, especially if you are just starting out, you want to make sure that other people see your content. One way to do this is by being active on a social media platform. Don’t be afraid to comment on people’s posts and get involved in conversations. When it comes to social media branding strategies, having a plan for interaction is key.
While, in real life, it might be rude to randomly insert yourself in other people’s conversations, that is the whole point of social media. Do not hesitate to compliment others within and without of your niche when you like their content. Reach out to other companies online when appropriate aswell.
Final Thoughts On Social Media Branding Strategies
Ultimately, social media is a massive constantly shifting landscape. Knowing how to utilize it, keep up, and make a name for your brand can seem very overwhelming. This is why having some social media branding strategies in your arsenal is so important.
Who are some of your favorite brands on social media? What have they done to capture your attention? Comment below…
