It’s very easy to be ignored or forgotten through the many social media outlets where users engage. In this age of mass communication, consumers are easily overwhelmed with the amount of daily advertisements they see, and quickly learn to filter out generic messaging. The key to cutting through these defenses is to differentiate your brand. It’s a given that not participating in social media puts your business at a severe disadvantage. However, even very active businesses can still find it difficult to keep their messaging from getting lost.

Give Them Something to Anticipate

Creating patterns in your social media presence helps give viewers a sense of what’s on the horizon. Whether it’s creating a different hashtag for each day of the week, sharing Throwback Thursday pictures, or sponsoring a weekly give-away, giving your followers something to look forward to promotes maintaining engagement and building community. Giving viewers hints and teasers about upcoming events also entices your audience to check back regularly to see the latest.

Be Personal

When you post personal pictures on social media, your consumers will begin to feel like they know you, which can go a long way in building relationships and establishing loyalty. With so much ‘tech’ in the world, it can also be very powerful to remind followers that your business has a human side. Socially-minded consumers also consider the culture of a brand, as well as the treatment its employees receive, when making purchase or advocacy decisions.  

Understand Your Brand’s Personality

Share articles, blogs, and posts that are relevant to the voice of your brand. As much as consumers love to hear from a brand directly, sharing things from similar channels helps to align the brand with others who share important values. Plus, it demonstrates that you are current with what’s happening in your industry and society. Considering the current political climate, companies now have to decide if they are going to take a stance, and which stance that might be. In the past, politics have been seen as a subject to avoid, but have been brought center-stage by both corporate and consumer activism, potentially casting political neutrality in the negative light of apathy.

Understand the Online Vernacular

Companies like to give off the impression that they are professional and well informed. As much as these qualities are important to business, it is also important to know your audience. Social media communicates in ways that are more colloquial. When posting to various social channels, it is crucial to remember that many consume social media for its entertainment value. Consumers will look past content that seems too technical and cluttered, thus focusing their attention on what seems interesting and organic.

These are just basic ways to retain your viewers’ attention through social media. Differentiating your brand is a complex, ongoing task, but returns greater benefits when done well through authentic and engaged communication. Let us know what you think helps differentiate a brand through social media!