Social Media Practices Brands Need to Know
Like cake at a birthday party, consumers expect brands to have a presence on social media. It’s a way they get to know you, interact with you and stay connected with you. Still, social media is a great mystery to a great number of brands. As a leader of social media programs for organizations both big and small, here are tried and true social media best practices the team at PRworks employs.
#1 Know Your Why:
Like any strategic effort, start with the end in mind. Why social media? For awareness? Engagement? Site traffic? Leads? Identifying your “why” is the first step to answering the next important questions for your social media program: “who” (the right audience), “where” (the right social media platforms) and “what” (the right content).
#2 Devise a Plan:
A sporadic social media effort won’t cut it. To be effective, social media requires resources, commitment and a strategy. (A big reason why it’s wise to work with an experienced marketing and communications partner like us.) Detailing the people, processes, protocols and budget resources to implement your program in advance is key.
#3 Reflect Your Brand:
Consistency is a core tenet of branding. Be sure your social media presence doesn’t go rogue. Start with your social account particulars – handles, profile pictures, cover images, “about” content and keyword usage. Infuse your brand personality and visual style into post content and graphics. Create and use unique hashtags that convey your brand.
#4 Mix It Up:
This one may be tough to swallow, but… your social content shouldn’t only be about you. In fact, it’s better if it’s not. Best practice is to formulate a blend of original and curated content. What does this mean exactly? In addition to posting your own content, share relevant credible content created by others that your audience will care about.
#5 Monitor and Engage:
Social media needs constant attention. Not only do consumers expect you to be there; they expect you to be listening and responding too. (Another reason it’s good to have us by your side.) When you receive praise, publicly express thanks. If you receive negative feedback, don’t ignore it. Offer appreciation and a way to contact you directly.
#6 Adopt a Paid Approach:
It used to be you could build and reach a social media audience simply by setting up a page and posting. Oh, the good old days. Today? Not so much. Platforms have monetized and algorithms have squeezed organic visibility. What’s a brand to do? Video content helps. Encouraging employees to share helps. And paid promotion is practically a must.
The Bottom Line
It takes a serious commitment of time, effort and resources to have a successful social media program. Fortunately, you don’t have to go at it alone.
From planning to strategy to execution, our team has the expertise and experience to give your brand’s social media presence a lift. Let’s talk.
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