SOCIAL MEDIA HAS PROVIDED BRANDS with an opportunity to build relationships with their audiences like nothing we have seen before. Your ability to connect with new people and deepen existing relationships can have a large positive effect on your brand. Social media is about one thing and one thing only: engagement. The brands that engage the most win.
However, if your approach to social media is off boring and too commercially, it can actually mess up your brand. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and be interesting Although I am a big proponent of social media and recommend it for all brands, it’s important to note that it’s only right for those who commit to it.
My goal here is not to frighten you but to give you a fair warning of what you’re committing to when you decide how to invest in making social media a component of your branding strategy.
Not being active in a medium with the word social doesn’t make much sense, does it? I have seen people go weeks without a single update and then complain about the lack of response they receive from their “audience.” I don’t mean to sound harsh (yes, I do), but during your little social media vacation, we simply forgot about you. The biggest objection to social media is “I don’t have the time.” I always say, if you want to find someone to get the job done for you make sure it’s a busy person. All the rest are simply called procrastinators.
Look, everyone has 5-10 minutes here and there throughout any given week. You can start somewhere. Morning, evening, or whatever. Find what works for you and go with it.
Marc Cuban is a billionaire and involved in multiple businesses “including being the owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team and co-star of “Shark Tank”
. He’s obviously very busy day in and day out, yet even he tweets 74 times a month on average. You have no excuse. So if social media is about interaction, why are so many people and brands still trying to market their businesses without engaging with people? Look, social media is a great way to share your content, and you shouldn’t be afraid of using it that way. However, the key word in social media is social. Your audience wants to connect with you. If your conversation is completely one sided, you will turn people off and they will tune you out. Think of it this way: have you ever been at a social gathering and you get stuck talking with some annoying people who won’t stop talking about themselves? Its boring! Understanding that social media success is defined in terms of engagement can empower you to succeed with it from day one. How? Simply by leveraging it to create relationships with prospects, forge bonds with industry “peers, and strengthen your relationships with existing clients through online engagement.
Remember, it’s not about you; it’s about finding ways to provide value to those you interact with. It’s not always easy to begin a conversation with someone you don’t know, but the Internet empowers us all to be extroverts. Social media also isn’t the place to choose favorites. Don’t abandon your social media strategy just to chitchat with your buddies. Your prospects would love to talk to you and get to know you. They also want you to get to know them. Use social media to meet new people. Some of the coolest people I know I met via social media. When it comes to social media, you have to also be interesting. If your message isn’t compelling or interesting, your efforts won’t be effective and you’ll waste a huge opportunity. Not a day goes by that I don’t see people ruining their brand through social media. There are a few no-no’s you want to avoid.