Developing a recognizable and effective brand for your company is important for all businesses. Here is some helpful information I came across from SBA.gov that suggests a few ways to increase your business’ visibility and brand strength using social media. Read the full article at http://www.sba.gov/community/blogs/6-quick-ways-use-social-media-branding
1. Upload Consistent Avatars
Stick to a single avatar across all channels so that visitors build a mental connection from the social platform back to your site. Use a high-quality version (large pixel size) of your company logo, unless you’re branding yourself, in which case you should use a really great smiling photograph. The reason to use a large image size is that sometimes others download your logo from social sites if they write about your company, so you want it to be as high quality as possible.
2. Use Similar Colors and Design Across Platforms
In addition to ensuring that your images are the same on all social media profiles, it’s important to deliver a similar look across the board. A visitor should be able to recognize your brand from any social page they visit. Most sites allow you to upload a custom background, banner photo, or image; these are valuable real estate locations to use similar color and design elements to integrate with your company logo colors and the design of your site.
3. Deliver Consistent Messaging
Develop a professional voice that speaks to what your company is all about, and be consistent so your visitors know what to expect on your page. When using a business tone, make sure you’re not using all caps and/or slang (“OMG THIS BLOG POST ROXX!”). If there is a specific quality your business offers (i.e., luxury, formality, trust, professionalism or other attributes), convey that attribute consistently and clearly throughout your social messaging.
4. Provide Unique Content on Each Channel
Ideally, you want to give people a reason to follow you on all platforms. Mix up what you offer, and diversify your communication strategy for each.
5. Check for “Unofficial” Pages, Claim Them, and Brand Them
Check social sites to make sure there are not already pages set up that you haven’t claimed. Look for instructions on how to claim your profile on review sites (like Yelp). In a situation where someone has used your company name without permission, you will have to contact the social network and report the unauthorized use.
6. Focus on 2 to 4 Social Sites
Don’t go overboard joining social media sites. If you want to reach as many people as possible, use only as many as you have time to update. Think deep, not wide. Focusing your efforts will help you to develop a consistent message and brand visibility.
Remember, the more effort you put into social media, the better the results. Aim for a consistent, engaging experience, and you will attract new followers and, eventually, customers.
Anita Campbell runs online communities and information websites reaching over 4 million small business owners, stakeholders and entrepreneurs annually, including Small Business Trends, a daily publication about small business issues, and BizSugar.com, a small business social media sit.
