You have a bad review. You hate some of the old messages posted to your Facebook account. You dread to think what that intern posted to your Twitter page. If this sounds like what is happening to you, it may be time to roll up your sleeves and start working on cleaning up your social media presence. If that sounds like a lot of work, it may be because you have so much to think about in terms of what you would like this online presence to do for you and for your business. Here are some tips for cleaning it up and making it really work for you instead.
- Keep your message consistent. One of the easiest ways to make an impression is to create and maintain a clear message. Consistency is very important with branding and with social media. This allows people to keep track of your business across various platforms and gives them the ability to really get to know you.
- Spend time building your site so you “own the name.” That is, having a website that is full of helpful information around the keywords or topic that you want people to search for you through is going to help you. For example, if you are a plumber, having a website that is full of useful tips and resources, and properly SEO-ed, can help you to get the presence you need online. Then, use this material as a tool to building your social media presence.
- Be human. That is, get away from a corporate style of marketing. You want to talk to your customers, sometimes in person! The key here is to be social on your sites. Interact, greet people, discuss topics that are important to you or your industry, and most importantly, reply to people. This gives everyone a chance to really see your business for what it is, a solution to their problem and one they can rely on.
No matter what your past social media experiences are, there is no time like right now to make a big impact on your future. The process starts with creating an impressive brand that is built from one social media message to the next. Of course, you may need to step back and consider what you want your rand and image to be. Once you do that, use social media as a tool for making big things happen.