Social media marketing is the buzz of 2010 and for a small business it is an opportunity to introduce your brand to a larger target audience. We talk about a social media strategy and how to choose your platforms, learn how to use them, listen and then engage. However what we do not always hear is really how to introduce your brand to the social media community. Those engaging in social media continues to grow as do the levels of engagement as consumers and brands wrap their arms around the notion that their brands are accessible we need to think how will you introduce your brand to the social media communities.
As a small business branding plays an integral role in your overall marketing and advertising. Traditional advertising channels in local newspapers, radio and TV introduces your brand locally and people know you exist. What happens when you create your Twitter account or Facebook Fan Page; no-one knows you or knows you are there. Now what?
Steps to Introduce Your Brand to Social Media
1. Create Message. 10 words or less tell us who you are. Not a sales message as is done in traditional advertising but more a brief trustworthy introductory brand message.
2. Create Profiles. Incorporate your corporate identity into your profiles with custom backgrounds and as much customization as you can. It is your company page and utilizing as much of your corporate identity as possible is beneficial.
3. Identify Target & Connect. No message, just friend them to see who they are talking to, about and how they use the social space. People use the space differently and with varied frequency. Know this before you begin reaching out. They will be notified that you are following so they make the decision to follow/friend back. An informal introduction has been made here.
4. Initial Contact. This is NOT an auto DM on twitter thanking them or jumping in with a sales pitch. Everyone knows that behind the brand is a person so be that person and humanize your brand. Reach out to friends/fans to try and solve a problem or provide information that is useful but do not sell.
5. Engage. Once you have established your presence and have gained awareness within your target you are now able to engage and do let them know of specials, sales, events, contests, etc. While it is enticing to want to flood your platforms with information about your company in the initial contact stage, it is going to turn people away.
Knowing why you are there and what you want to accomplish in social media is just the beginning. It is a form of advertising and marketing but in a different manner that before. The days of build it and they will come are so far gone and as consumers demand more you have to be ready and aware of the conversation around you to be ready to react.
How did you introduce your brand – whether personal or company to social media? What platforms are you the most active?
photo credit: WebWizzard