On this episode of The Sew Much More Podcast: 30 Minutes with Workroom Tech, Ceil DiGuglielmo and Susan Woodcock continue the discussion from the last podcast about branding. In this episode you will learn tips and advice for sharing your brand on social media and creating a brand experience.
You can listen to Episode 43 here: Your Brand on Social Media
Why use social media?
Online branding is quick, easy and inexpensive (free!) and you can reach your audience in an instant - it's a real time experience. There are many different platforms to choose from and a great way to interact with new and future customers.
Strategy: to connect and build relationships
Unlike advertising of the past (newspaper or yellow pages) online platforms like Facebook and Instagram are more about building relationships than selling. That's why it's called "social" media.
To be successful you must:
1) Create a social media style (look and tone) that is true to your brand.
2) Include questions and conversation starters to engage your audience.
3) Support others by giving credit when sharing pages, photos and inspiration photos.
Managing time
Social media is a big investment of time and managing time is one of the most difficult things to do! Social media is full of distractions - stay on task.
1) Look away, ignore and hide
2) Create limits and policies for time devoted to social media and types of engagement and and stick to it.
3) Turn off notifications.
4) Have a plan.
5) Respect others time - don't share spammy posts.
Create a Content Schedule
For some people, sharing on social media is spontaneous, but for many busy business owners it's not that easy. You may do a better job at social media by sitting down and planning your content for a period of time, or hiring someone to help you create content.
Whether you plan to post once a day or twice a week or more or less, keep the content fresh and interesting. Marketing experts recommend a one third approach to social media content: one third advertising, one third helpful information, and one third just for fun.
In addition to sharing content on social media, it's also important to set aside time to work on SEO, review metrics, research trends and check on competitors. Have you googled yourself or your business lately?
Tip: Post on social pages the way that you like to be engaged
and in a way that you want to be remembered.
Choosing the right online platform
What do you enjoy?
What is easiest for you to use?
Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are a good fit for interior design and workroom businesses because it's visual and focused on inspiration photos. A business page on Facebook is a great place to share your personality and to give future customers a sense of your style and service. A Facebook business page will show up in a Google search which is important if you do not have a website. If you enjoy the culture of Twitter then that is a great place for you to share your brand. Although you can use app's to post across all your social media accounts, keep in mind that the language and style of each platform is different. What makes "sense" on Twitter does not on Facebook.
What is brand experience?
A brand experience is the relationship a company has with customers, and how it is perceived by others. It is the feeling or thoughts people have about a company (emotional response) positive or negative.
The experience you have with a company will connect you with their brand. For example; you will have positive feelings when you see their logo.
What feelings do you have when you see the company logo's below?
M&M's - delicious, fun, a treat! You might have a positive emotional connection with childhood, going to the movies or a holiday.
Keds - tennis shoes, comfort, tradition, casual, practical, cute.
Tiffany & Co., elegant, tasteful, expensive.
Luxurious, beautiful, high end.
McDonald's - fast food. This may not bring feelings of a healthy, positive experience but what you can learn from this is that the McDonald's brand wins on consistency. Even a less than stellar dining experience can be successful if the products and services are consistent, affordable and predictable. And there's the french fries - you can't deny that!
Creating a Brand Experience
1) Be true to your core values.
2) Attention to consistenty
3) Reflect your tone and personality
People buy from businesses and people that they like and can identify with.
Brand experience builds brand loyalty.
Remember... a bad customer experience is more likely to be shared than a good experience. How you handle a complaint or problem in person and on social media can be key to how your brand is perceived by others and whether that customer will recommend you to others.