It’s official; social media has taken over the world. Every company under the sun has a full social media package from Facebook to Instagram to Pinterest and beyond. So, it begs the question, how can you elevate your brand on social media so it stands out and reinforces your brand?
As it turns out, many of the strategies for elevating your brand are lessons we used at a very young to build a foundation for life. While simple, they are tried and true methods for elevating your brand, specifically on social media. Here are our top five favorite tips on how to elevate your brand that you may have learned in kindergarten:
1. Define Your Voice
Everything about your organization should resonate with your brand, and that includes your voice. Whether it’s impressive website content, a viral video on your social media platforms, or a conversation with a client on Instagram, the voice should be consistent.
2. Be Original
Don’t be like the kid or the company next to you. Whether you like to call it your special sauce or your secret spice (it all depends on the voice of your brand), be proud and loud about who your company is. If your company is obsessed with tacos (which may or may not be a personal confession here), then celebrate it on social media. Infuse your posts with what makes your brand unique.
Create content around your originality with rich imagery and crafty language. Create something unique and your own while encouraging your followers to join in the fun. After all, fun equals fans.
3. Engage
To engage is simply to reach out and be reachable. In kindergarten, everything is an adventure, and everyone is an immediate friend. Transferring this same attitude to your social media is simple; you just need to put yourself out there.
Have polls, ask questions, and visit your clients on their social media platforms. And for goodness sake, when followers comment on your posts, don’t just “like it.” If they took the time to write something, follow up on it with a personal message. They feel heard and validated, and you have just reached another level in your client relationship. Win-win!
4. Play Nice with Everyone
Every business has had that client that is never happy, right? There are days you just want to blow off steam and let loose on them…but you don’t. Unfortunately, social media amplifies discontent. More and more people will be negative on social media because it’s a passive medium. There’s a screen (literally) between you and the person giving you their two cents.
That’s when you must remember to play nice with everyone. Even if they are pushing your buttons and even if you think their complaints are unfounded. Remember that to elevate your brand; you also need to elevate the road you choose to take, specifically, the high road.
5. Listen and Learn
In business, many companies try to control the narrative, in fact, that’s what all the top sales professionals teach. But think about this, if you don’t listen to your clients, the industry, your employees, and the public in general, you miss out on valuable intel that’s free to get and more honest.
People are emboldened by social media. They tend to react without filters, and therefore, you are getting the real deal. If a client loves your customer service, pay attention to what they are focusing on. If they don’t provide specifics, follow up and ask. These real dialogues with all the elements that influence your company and brand are priceless. However, if you don’t take a moment to listen, you won’t learn.
If you haven’t taken social media seriously thus far, now is the time to dedicate time and human power to it. Social media provides a wealth of information about products desired, client care, pricing, competition, and just about anything you need to know about your business from new perspectives. It will give you the manual on how to elevate your brand.
