Building, Driving and Growing your Brand’s Social Media Community is the latest marketing initiative. As important as this may be, you have to ensure, as we have always discussed, is it “right” for the Brand. In other words, “what is your goal” for engaging your audience….Is it merely to say you have a Social Media Engine, or is it to Drive a very specific strategy that engages with your “core” long term.
As with most brands this is new territory, and it seems nobody really knows what the “rules” are as of yet. As a result, they experiment with a ”trial by fire” approach. Meaning let’s “fire away”, and see if anything sticks… vs having a very specific goal of what you are trying to achieve with a focused effort. Better to focus on something specific that grows through an “integrated” strategy.. vs building something for the sake of saying you are doing something.
Brands that take into account their brand “bloodlines”, understand their “core”, develop a Social Media engagement strategy that continues “authenticate” through these two “lifelines” will grow and thrive in this environment. Again, just as with all marketing strategies, brand positioning and engagement, virtually or otherwise, stay “true” to who you are, find something interesting to say and they will find you.
However, as with most marketing investments, you will need to invest to find, build and grow your Social Community through partnering with the “Big Dogs” (Facebook, Google, etc.). Once you have defined your goal for building your “Community”, then you will need to build up the numbers to determine your investment to achieve this growth.
Always stay “True” to your Brand Bloodlines..
Always look to “Drive” a Social Community similar to brand Demo..
Always engage “Authentically” once they are in your “Community”..
Enjoy the Ride !
Bryan Smeltzer
“Product Innovation & Marketing Success Blog..”
