Harnessing a horse is not about dominance, it's about controlling the outcome of your relationship through cues and mutual respect. Social media is about relationships- what you project and what others perceive. Rather than waiting for a letter to arrive with photos, electronic communication has allowed us to instantly share our thoughts and imagery. However, unlike written word, where letters evolve into love or chapters turn into a complete story, the ability to share instantly is often spur of the moment rather than an organized plan.
Your social media efforts should reflect you - your company's values, services, and personality. If there is more than one employee, your posts reflect not only you but those around you. Establishing a set of guidelines is an important step. Just like developing a brand guide, there should be a standard for tone & appearance for a cohesive story to your followers. This way, no matter when they join your digital conversation, your brand has a clever message.
Where do you start?
When we begin crafting a social media brand guide we start by examining your company's graphic guide. After establishing how your graphics will be adapted into social media posts, it's time to explore key areas before developing content. For example, which platforms are right for your story? How much time do you have to allocate or do you need help with not only the graphics but the content & management? It's also important to set an expectation around the frequency of content to be posted.
If consistency and time management is a challenge, you might consider using a management tool, such as Hootsuite. If sharing stories does not come naturally, content prompts from popular platforms such as LinkedIn & Facebook can be a life-saver. Since we are immersed in the world of touch- branding; when we are partnering with you to craft your social media, we always suggest inserting national dates & cause-related campaigns that make sense for your company story. Followers will find you authentic when your brand stays on point. Savvy consumers know when a message seems forced, copied, or unauthentic.
Still not sure where to start? No worries, we have 3 quick start documents around creating a content calendar, managing your social media and content generation. Collaboration and planning will determine your success. Current clients need only ask for these complimentary guides and new clients will receive as part of our new partner branding package.