Marketing your company or business online through social media can become a slippery slope. Before you send out your first Tweet or Facebook post, there are a few things to consider before making your presence known in the social media stratosphere.
The best way Twitter can promote your business is through the simple use of updates. Of course, this is easier said than done. Your company should use it to link other internet resources such as a blog, employee LinkedIn profiles or aparticular industry expert report.
Your marketing department should be the core lead in developing your internet and social media strategy. Their primary resposbility should be making sure all distributed messages maintain the company’s brand and image.
Therefore, it is essential that companies take social media branding seriously. It shouldn’t be an after-thought or an attempt to have an obligatory “representation in the social media space.” Make sure your company has a social media strategy before creating a company profile. When a strategy is executed the right way this could be your single best resource for public relations, news, company updates, consumer and industry communication.
Try creating a team composed of a few different people representing different departments to manage tweets. This allows the company’s message and brand to remain consistent in spite of employee changes or departmental changes.
Within the day to day business affairs, it can become tempting to leave social media branding to temporary team members. Be cautious of using an intern for this assignment. It’s easy for those companies who have not invested in a clear social media strategy to pass the high-profile assignment on to “the hip” summer intern. This can lead to huge imaging and branding mistakes. The Harvard Business Review addressed this issue stating:
“Internships are stopgap measures for many organizations, a way to plug operational
holes. But when inexperienced, short-term employees are asked to perform
operationally vital work, the result can be more cost than benefit.”
Consider the widespread use of interns to manage web content and social media initiatives. It may seem natural to pass the mouse to the nearest millenial given the generational fit. However, it delays the inevitable time when your seasoned employees have to learn the new tools of their trade. Additionally, it places people who know and care least about your brand on the front lines of communicating your company’s public message.
So remember, when it comes to branding your business’ social media image:
1. Be strategic.
2. Be smart.
3. Be Relevant.
4. Gather a trustworthy and engaging team to launch a successful social media plan.
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