While there is no one universal approach to building and maintaining a good brand, I have a few rules when it comes to social branding that I would like to share. These are constant marketing truths and tactics one should keep in mind when they look at their social programs:
Go for the groove. Some branding campaigns try so hard to be different they lose their relevance or the message requires too much explanation. Remember different is not always good, especially in the online and mobile environments when you have like 7 seconds to capture someone’s attention and connect with their emotions. Here is the deal, there is a groove in everyone’s head that your message has got to fit right into. This groove is an incomplete need or through based on what they know, what they need and what they love about your brand or category. Find this gap or this “groove” and fill it! Accomplish this and chances are you will have a winning message that connects and embeds in people’s minds on a synaptic and emotional level. Miss the groove and, well, you’re just another meaningless instant in an ocean of impressions.
Get people talking. Remember, in social your brand is not what you say, rather it’s what people say about you. So like Bonnie Raitt sang, “Let’s Give Them Something To Talk About.” Spark conversation, try and promote content and promotions that sparks dialogue between not just you and your community, but between the members of your community and even their friends. Something like, “Ask your friends where they like to travel to and Brand X might just send you and them there together!” This will also boost your “Talking about this” viral metric on Facebook.
Be helpful. Ask this simple question, “Why would anyone want to be my friend?” Make sure that there is a reason to connect to you. How does getting a continual stream of content from your company provide value? Are you helping people to be more successful in their careers? Are you giving them ways to live healthier? Have more fun? Save money? Make money? Is the reason to connect obvious when a person browses your content or reads your social calls to action in your ads? Give people a reason to connect with you and make them one of the driving forces of your social content and promotions. “Check us out on Facebook” really is not a great call to action. “Save tons of money and get exclusive deals – Like us on Facebook” may work better to get your customers engaged socially. If you’re targeting B2B maybe it’s, “Get industry insight and IT success tips – Follow us on Twitter.”
Be human. Social media is the right place to show the human side of your company. Let people get to know not just your products but the people behind your products. Remember social media is about socializing and people want to feel like they are connecting with the actual human beings that share their values and emotions. It is impossible to communicate with an intimate object. So remember you are socializing with people who expect you to be human too! So loosen up a little bit and show the face behind the curtain. Really be friends with the lovers of your brand! (Now here is the thing, they don’t want to know what you did on your corporate outing, so a tinge of humor or self-deprecation is advised.)
Encourage the share! The share is as valuable as the Like or Follow! Why, because it creates peer to peer impressions featuring your brand! It also goes back to the “get people talking” tip. Be greedy for the share and celebrate it. Make content that is worth sharing and then make the share the call to action you are trying to encourage. We all want engagements, conversions and actions – but what about shares! Remember – the share is the action! So put big honkin’ share buttons everywhere!
CELEBRATE THE SHARE!!!
I would love to see some of your tips for good social branding – so please post them below or add them to the shares you post with this post!
