Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Social Media Content Is a Branding Tool

More and more businesses are realizing the power of social media as an effective marketing tool. But what many have failed to grasp is that it's not just about creating two or three social media pages and posting ads or other purely promotional material. In fact, that kind of thing really should kept to a minimum. The primary use of social media should be as a branding tool.
The late Diana, Princess of Wales, said;
"I'd like people to think of me as someone who cares about them."
That should be the objective of all your brand building efforts. And the way to achieve that objective through social media is to publish useful content. If you're a small business with limited time and resources, you might not think that's possible for you. But the truth is, it is possible, and easier than you think.
The key is leverage.
As a professional in your field, you probably read a great deal about your particular industry. As you read, give some thought to whether the article you're reading might be of interest to some of your social media followers. If it is, simply copy and paste a short, attention grabbing quote from the article into your social media pages along with a link to the full article. Unlike publishing a blog, which requires you to create original content, sharing other people's online content via your social media outlets takes very little time, and it's perfectly appropriate and legal. In fact, the publisher of the piece will appreciate the referral to their article.
Of course, the content you share has to be relevant to your business. If you're in the hair salon business, it wouldn't be relevant for you to post a link to an article about caring for dogs or cats, even if some of your followers happen to be pet owners. Instead, you should post links to informative articles about hair care and other personal care topics - the common thread of interest among all your followers.
By leveraging content that already exists somewhere else online, you can provide your social media friends and followers with content that can benefit them in some way. People will start to think of you as someone who cares about them. This will lead to increased trust, and that trust will cause them to think of you first when they need whatever it is you sell.
For additional help creating and implementing an effective social media branding strategy, contact us online, or call 813-440-2741.

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