Social media is an essential part of any brand building effort no matter what business you’re in. Consumers expect a way to learn about your products and share their experiences with others online. Social media is a powerful way to communicate your value proposition and enhance your brand.
The most valuable and respected brands in the world use digital channels for brand building. Coca Cola, for example, uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and other channels, and these are all integrated around its main social platform, a website called Coke Journey. According to Coke, “Its mission is to inspire moments of optimism and happiness and build our brands.”
To use digital channels effectively, follow these guidelines. First, make sure all the sites have a common look and feel. They don’t have to be identical in their design, but they must adhere to the standards defined in your brand book. That means all logos, trademarks, colors, font styles, and typography are exactly per standard. Otherwise, you may confuse customers if an online site doesn’t look like the brand.
Second, be sure all sites use the same voice of the brand. The tone and style of writing should be consistent with the brand’s personality.
Third, be sure to define who can and cannot post things to the various social media sites. It’s essential they be properly trained on the brand, how to communicate the brand’s values, and how to comply with the company’s social media policies.
Finally, be sure to specify the role of each social media site. Overall, they exist to support the core brand promise, but individually, they might each have a different role. For that, you need to refer to your customer experience. Each social media site is another touchpoint in the customer experience. Just as you do with your other touchpoints, you can link each social media touchpoint to a different brand driver.
Taken together, social media sites create a community of brand-loyal customers who interact with each other and with your company. That’s the foundation for a strong customer relationship.
