5 tips for using brand messages on social media

Gone are the days of businesses getting away with keeping silent online. Remaining tight-lipped cannot be afforded in a world where feedback can be uploaded and shared with entire communities at the flick of a thumb. Thomas Paisley, one of our social media specilists from re:act, offer us all some great advice.

Social media has provided the perfect formula for reacting to this feedback culture. A lot of businesses now use social media as a means of getting their brand messages out. The question we need to ask is, with so many doing it, how should a company promote their brand?

To market any brand, businesses need to be clear, effective and consistent. Here are our 5 tips on how to share your message.

1.Develop the kind of brand you want to be
As a company grows, they gain a reputation for how they do their business. Putting time aside and identifying your company's 'personality traits' is vital. Finding out why your customers use you is pivotal in determining your brand voice.

Do you want to come across as comedic and informal? Playful and fun, or serious and formal?Look carefully at your brand and work out what represents you.

2.Know your audience
Who will be listening to your message? Before any messages are sent out, attention should be paid to the audience the message is being distributed to. Are you looking to target various age groups? Then a customized Facebook post could suit your brand. Tools such as Facebook insights can provide great information on your social media audience.Focus on communities that are more likely to respond to your message rather than shooting into the darkness and hoping for the best!

3.Be consistent
This speaks for itself. It can sabotage your whole campaign if a lack of preparation has left you pushing different 'brand personality' themes from different social media accounts. Posting countless, humorous photos on your Facebook page, but only serious tweets from your Twitter account can come across as confusing to your audience.Consistency is key.

4. Make best use of your time
Just because social media can be effective for your brand doesn't mean you should be on every available platform. Do a self evaluation; who uses it? What key features can my brand make use of? What content can we effectively share on it? Some social media channels will help you spread the messages you share whereas others will enhance that content. For example, focusing all of your efforts on Pinterest if you only have blog articles to share isn't going to be effective. Stuck for knowing which channels to use? This blog gives handy advice.

5.Don't give up, keep practising!
Most of all, keep going! Like starting a business, there will be ups and downs along the way. Nothing builds your confidence more than practice, practice and more practice.It's not all about the time you spend, it's also about the thought you put into your brand messages.Learn by doing and your social media presence will shine.

Social media isn't going anywhere; it's here for the long haul. By ensuring your business is effective with its brand messages, you'll be helping it to stand out from your competitors and ultimately strengthening its online identity.

So don't keep silent, spread your word!

What do you think? How have you used social media to share your brand messages? Let us know your comments.