Building an online presence in your social media strategy

By now, you know that online listening and reputation management is becoming an increasingly important part of building brand awareness. But listening just isn’t enough. In fact, the whole goal of social media is to connect people. That means that if you’re going to leverage the power of the online world, you must establish an online presence.

When it comes to online presence, we’re not just talking about the company website. You already have one of those—and you’ve probably invested a good deal into creating a professional-looking website. The fact is that, as important as websites are, social media presence is becoming just as critical. According to one in-depth report, nearly two-thirds of a brand’s profits may stem from effective customer engagement strategies. No doubt, online social engagement plays an increasingly important role in those strategies. Here are just 3 of the things to consider when building your brand with a social network:

1. Say “hi” – The web is the place for consumers to get the information they need. One of the simplest ways to get your foot in the social door is by posting simple intros on the social networks where your customers hang out. Even if it’s a boilerplate bio, it still acts as a virtual introduction to potential customers and future online influencers.

1. Get fresh – No, not that kind of fresh! Content remains king of the online world—even in the social media landscape. Part of building presence is providing the right customers with the right content on a regular basis. As Business Review USA’s Laura Clapper notes, part of Starbucks’ social engagement strategy involves posting daily status updates that tout everything from new products to customer polls. That doesn’t mean you need to bombard clients with specials every hour. Instead it means you’ll provide relevant content on a regular basis to ensure your brand stays top of mind.

1. Make it easy – From your experience working with the company websites you know that putting contact information on every page is a must-have. If your social media strategy is going to succeed, you’ll need to make getting in touch with you just as easy. For example, make sure you build a presence on the social networks your customers use, whether it’s Twitter or MySpace. Don’t make customers hunt for you.

If you want to build positive brand awareness, online listening simply isn’t enough. Contact Social Strategy1 to find out how their experienced team will help you make your mark in the social media world.