Brand Identity Building Doesn’t Stop With Twitter and Facebook Logos!
Some companies think that a social media strategy is little more than setting up the accounts to impress the marketplace with your cool and savvy understanding of how it works and ‘the business will come’. Wrong! Keeping your website active with frequent fresh content is how it actually works!
Dinosaur thinking dies hard!
As businesses become aware that something’s ‘going on’ out there, they think they can join in the conversation on a no cost basis when they have a free moment!
Not going to happen!
Simply turning up is not enough. In 2010, if you want to build a powerful brand identity to attract new niche consumer traffic in your geographical territories, then you must update your thinking about how your marketing strategies behave as communication channels.
The boundaries between ‘social, personal and business’ are dissolving into pulsating supernovas of irresistable attraction! Content is the online marketing resource fuelling the explosion of website accessibility platforms from PC and Netbook to iPhone and eBook.
‘Smart business’ knows that to succeed, they must be positioned as authoritative experts and trusted sources of information. When they put out their own original content, they become the media. The gravitational pull compels new visitor traffic, strengthens existing customer bonds and incentivises projects, sales or service conversions.
Social media however, is low cost as a versatile mass customer engagement channel! Where the investment comes in is maintaining website design functionality and online content to build up a long term audience constituency.
It does not happen overnight, but the benefit slowly shores up a powerful web presence that flags up on site stats and analytics, which show just where ROI is likely to impact the bottom line.
Want to get the ‘halo’ effect?
Here’s a few guiding tips – out of petty cash !
Know Thy Customers! What are they reading, watching, and linking to for content? What are their common interests, changing needs and site behaviours?
Call The Professionals ! Do not think for one moment that you can create the right written content yourself ! You haven’t the time and you won’t get it right! Today’s Google generation are one click speedsters!
Speak with your webmaster or website designer. They will set up the right systems, organise scheduled original content production, from blogs, articles and Twitter feeds. Their experience, knowledge and expertise is where the investment is made and measurable results are your safety net.
Inform and Captivate! This is not selling as you know it, Jim! Your audience are looking for genuine and relevant content. Selling should be confined to your website main pages. Social media is ‘developing engagement’ and providing quality content will give your business presence the desired ‘halo’ effect!
Update fresh content! It’s 2010! In today’s non-stop news blogs and information feed cycles, unattended websites and last year’s articles are death rattles to potential customers.
Frequent , fresh, relevant, and up-to-date content is more likely to be shared retweeted, or instant messaged to business colleagues, friends and followers across multiple marketplaces that you would never achieve yourself.
The way forward is clear! Social media platforms do promise ‘more bang for less buck’ because a member of the captive and engaged audience is bookmarked or subscribed to your blog site, newsletter, Twitter or Facebook. They are more likely to spread the word about your company’s latest offers, activities or generally ‘good guy’ customer service than someone who sees a magazine ad.
Simply speaking at your customer is over! You must instead speak with them – and listen! Trusted content is the only way to build a ‘community’ customerbase that will ultimately bring you closer and encourage the desired results!
Great post. I will read your posts frequently. Added you to the RSS reader.