How to Get Your Brand Ready for Social Media Marketing

Social media has become a main stream way for companies and brands alike to connect with their following. Going further than just engaging their consumer, brands now have several more outlets to market and promote their product and service. What some brands are having trouble with is how to properly get started with social media.

I am particularly aiming this blog towards the small to medium sized businesses. Companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Snickers, and any other name brand company have the funds at their disposal to do whatever they like; they can create a campaign, then completely overhaul it 5 times over if they please. I am dedicating this post to the companies that are up and coming, who are looking to jump on the social media bandwagon and would like to hit the ground running. There is still a large population of companies and businesses that have not yet adopted social media. So how do you get your company geared up for a social media strategy?

Are You a Social Media Expert?

The answer is no. No one is a social media expert, and you shouldn’t believe an agency or person if that is what they claim to be. This statement may seem controversial, as it is coming from a social media marketing and management business owner, but it is the truth. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that my partner and I are experts because we’re not. We are extremely good at what we do and are very knowledgeable about how social media marketing works in a business sense, but to call ourselves experts is a straight out lie. And if you think you’re an expert, you are lying too.

Social media is constantly changing. Therefore, it is not a communication channel that a person can ever fully understand. New social sites, like Google+, pop up every other week. How can you be an expert in something that is new to everyone?

Brand Research… What Are Your Customers Saying About Your Company?

If you have been reading Progressive Media Concept’s previous blog posts, you know how often we stress the importance of engaging your consumers. Sometimes consumers get involved with your product or service and have positive things to write about, which is a great feeling for any businessperson. Social media sites allow your customers to post freely about what they think of your product offerings, customer service, and value. Therefore, it is important for marketing departments to conduct brand research to see what people are saying.

All forms of feedback can be found through your own company’s Facebook and Twitter pages. To conduct further brand research, it is a good idea to Google your company, products, or services. There you will find endless amounts of reviews, mentions, and even blog posts containing detailed consumer opinions.