Your business should look the same on multiple social media sites.
Much like identical babies. Dress them the same, but know that even though they look alike they are each different. Each needs individual and constant care. Each needs continuous conversation and attention tailored to who they are.
If your business is up and running on several social media sites, like Facebook, Google+ or Twitter – to name a few. Make certain your business brand looks and sounds the same on every platform. And if you are just beginning to explore some sites and wondering, “Which one of the social media platforms is right for my business?” Go to my blog post 6 Social Media Sites for Small Businesses – updated 2Q 2016 and see my suggestions.
A standard rule of thumb for marketers is to keep a consistent brand image and message across all marketing channels.
I see businesses forget this rule all the time in their haste to launch and manage multiple social media sites. They are so excited to jump on the latest popular platform. They don’t think about, or often never have, a branding and marketing plan in place. Sometimes there are too many chefs in the kitchen and the person(s) responsible for social media management are out of touch with the goals of the business owner in charge of branding.
Don’t let your business say one thing on one platform and something different on another. Your audience will get confused and in the end not know, or care who you are. The old school rule that preaches, “keep all branding consistent”, still applies in today’s new world social media.
Take a lesson from a big brand example like Nike.
Go to each one of there sites and see how they manage to look the same but stay unique to their different platforms.
http://www.youtube.com/user/nike
You will talk differently on each platform, but say the same things!
Each platform has a different audience and reason for being on that platform. Take Facebook as an example. If you are checking your Facebook news feed, you are staying in touch and sharing with friends, family and clubs. You do this on your leisure time, weekends and evenings. You probably are not looking to purchase anything or researching a product. As a business that is selling your product/service on Facebook you need to recognize that this is the behavior and attitude of your audience. They are not in a buying mode. Reach out to them “as a friend” who wants to have a relationship. Don’t do any hard selling. Start a conversation, use casual photos from your iPhone, have it look like something you’d send a friend.
More on this topic go to 6 Social Media Sites for Small Businesses – updated 2Q 2016
Rules for Branding on Multiple Platforms:
- Each platform has a different audience
- Keep a consistent message on every platform
- Look the same on every platform
- Include a “call to action” on every platform – and this includes your Blog too!
- Each message posted has a “feedback loop”
Create A Marketing Plan For Every Platform:
- A campaigns calendar with start and an end dates
- Ownership
- Budget
- Success measurements
Get my help to create a social media plan for your business.
How do you manage your brand on multiple platforms?
Call 719-331-3877