3 ways to create an authentic social media brand
Social media is more than simply a part of our daily lives. It’s also essential for brands wanting to strengthen ties with their target clientele.
However, with firms regularly being chastised for appearing insensitive, overly corporate, or unduly trying, developing and maintaining an authentic brand presence is critical for social media success.
Check out our three recommendations for making your brand more relevant and meaningful before you write your next piece.
Tip 1: Determine Your Brand’s Overall Purpose and Values
What is the first step? Establishing what “authenticity” means for your brand. This is the time to do extensive research on your target audience and ask questions like:
- What does your company stand for? Do you advocate for a cause, such as a climate change, gender equality, or body positivity?
- What characteristics identify your company? What kinds of material will make you feel more like a trusted personal relationship and less like a giant corporation?
- What are your social media followers likely to support? What are they concerned about?
- Once you’ve identified the values that distinguish you from your competition, integrate them into everything you post, share, and promote.
Remember: Haters will always hate! Not everyone will agree with your brand or understand your beliefs from the start, and that’s fine – in fact, they probably don’t belong in the first place.
Tip 2: Establish a Strong Brand Identity and voice
People will remember a brand with personality. Consider how you want your target audience to perceive your brand. Are you a jerk? Friendly? Informal? Witty?
Your brand voice must be consistent across platforms as an indicator of who you are – adjusting your brand voice at random is a major red flag that can make social media users feel like you’re catering to them.
Make a detailed tone and voice guide that everyone on your team may utilize to find alignment.
Tip 3: Create a Sense of Community Among Your Fans
A vibrant social media community is one of the most significant achievements for any brand, and participating in conversations allows you to demonstrate your authenticity the most.
- Rather than simply broadcasting marketing messages, create a social media plan that includes providing the material that is truly useful, educational, or entertaining to your target audience.
- Don’t be afraid to initiate or participate in one-on-one conversations; it’s one of the best ways to demonstrate to your followers that you care about them.
- Consider highlighting or designing shout-outs for your most devoted fans — not only is it a terrific way to express gratitude for their support, but it also increases social proof for other followers.
- Sharing customer stories that reflect shared goals and values helps increase brand loyalty.
- Building real relationships requires firms to be straightforward and honest – brands that delete critical comments, disregard or have a defensive reaction to bad feedback, or avoid accepting responsibility will eventually erode trust with their followers.
- Although scheduling postings will keep you sane, remember that authenticity comes from responding swiftly to real-time comments, trends, and happenings. (Hint: social media management software that monitors participation and sentiment can be really useful in this situation.)
Let’s Keep It Real.
Building a real brand takes time – just like any relationship, you must be patient, listen to criticism from followers, and learn as you go.
You’ll need a system that measures important metrics across all platforms and channels to determine the impact of your social media initiatives. Check out how we can assist you in understanding the impact social media plays in your marketing efforts so that you can make real-time modifications based on what works best for your target demographic.
