Social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives. My morning routine starts with scrolling through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as I eat my breakfast (and I’m sure this is the same for many of you). These popular platforms aren’t just about maintaining personal connections and sharing your thoughts anymore; they have become a necessity when it comes to building a brand. Whether it’s a Fortune 500 company or personal blog that is just starting out, social media increases brand awareness and identity, keeps you connected to your customers or followers and is ultimately a successful form of marketing.
There is a lot to learn in this evolving field, so I asked Kathy Banez, a Social Communications Coordinator at Digital Royalty, to share some of her social media wisdom. When it comes to building a brand, using social media correctly is key.
5 Ways to Build Your Brand Through Social Media
- Create brand identity. Before you start, you should know the voice of your brand, whom you’re targeting and what your goals are.
- Create brand awareness by building your following on your social media channels.
- Create a personal connection with your followers/customers by engaging with them. A Favorite/Like goes a long way.
- Always try to stay top-of-mind to your followers. Repost, reblog or share past content that is timely for your brand.
- Be authentic! You want to humanize your brand. People/followers want you to be personable and not a computer.
Strategically use hashtags. “For major brands, we advise using one to two hashtags, but no more. Too many hashtags, especially on Twitter, leaves no character count for content/photo. Try incorporating trending hashtags such as #TBT, #FBF, #sunset, #travel, #sports.”
To gain followers, be a real person and engage with your audience. “Be authentic and human. Follow people who fit your audience/share the same interests. If you’re a hotel brand, follow people who like to travel. If you’re a sports brand, follow people who like sports. It’s also important to engage with your followers. Favorites, Retweets, Likes, Comments, Shares, all of that goes a long way with your followers. Try to keep a conversation going and enter conversations that are already happening in the social space. Monitor trending hashtags and jump in when applicable.”
Use photos to grab attention. “For all social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) you want to have a photo that captures your audience. Your photo needs to grab the attention. Your copy is basically the support system to your photo. The great thing about Facebook and Twitter is that you can add links to where your audience can read more.”
