How to build a social media presence
A lot of businesses are only gradually beginning to realize how important it is to have an online identity. Social media allows us to create a traceable, very visible identity online. If done wrong, it can be daunting and terrifying, leading to a misleading perception of yourself and your company. If done right, it can help your business/company/yourself grow in to something so much bigger.
Social media networks are exactly what their name tells us: they are social. Being in touch with your customers/followers/clients has never been so easy. Using this to your benefit can result in exceptionally useful relationships for you and your business.
So first, figure out what message you want to send and how you want this message to be conveyed. As soon as you figured this out, it’s time to think about the platforms you want to choose to represent your social media or online identity in general. Depending on what message you want to send, only certain platforms might be appropriate. Being on every platform is not the most important thing. Being on Pinterest is great when your business deals with visual things, otherwise it is a waste of your time. Having a few but properly used platforms you are absolutely committed to will be more than enough.
If your message is clear and strong, your ground stone is set. The visual part of your online identity should tie in nicely with your content. Now we are getting to the key part of building a successful online identity:
Consistency and continuity is of the outmost importance when starting off to build a social media identity. Being recognized is very important when you want to deal with the mess that can be social media. Consistency does not just mean having the same logo or same username across the various platforms- content wise it is smart to have a common theme.
This goes even further- being committed to your social media is important. Creating A Pinterest account, filling it up with pins but then never visiting again is not a smart move. Starting off with crazy amounts of new content but then not continuing on the same level sends a bad message. Social media is a long term strategy, mostly because it takes time to build a network of follower and also maintain your relationship with them.
Melinda Emmerson explains the three C’s of social media when it comes to developing an online brand identity:
Content+ Community= Commerce.
If you are knowledgeable about your target audience, produce great content that is applicable and significant to them, building a community will be so much easier. It does not end here, though: Staying in touch with them is the most important part here. ‘Giving’ is crucial when starting out and creating a new online presence- Don’t worry, it sounds like a lot of work and it is- but after a while, all of it will pay off.
