Social media branding: An extension to your online brand

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Our online branding article contained an interesting concept that was not available back then when the marketing textbook by renowned American marketing author Philip Kotler was the only book to refer to when we studied marketing.

In the past few weeks, I co-authored an article about online branding with Mufaro Zhou, my valuable connection in the field of branding. I have once again partnered with him in penning this article. Our online branding article contained an interesting concept that was not available back then when the marketing textbook by renowned American marketing author Philip Kotler was the only book to refer to when we studied marketing. I remember saying to Zhou, I knew that textbook by heart and his response was hearty laughter. Over the years the world of technology and marketing has rapidly changed. However, the significant marketing concepts have remained the same, fitting in even in this digital, online era.

Stha

Internet connectivity is now a “basic commodity” that links individuals to the world of commerce. In our day-to-day lives we have encountered young and aged Zimbabweans almost impatiently waiting for the next social media communication and repeatedly sparing a split second of their time to quickly check content. This zeal and addiction for social media access within the population can be taken advantage of by an innovative marketer. The fact that most people access Facebook from anywhere is a great opportunity to deliver a personal touch of your brand to the public through a well thought out Facebook page. It is amazing how much a following you can quickly generate upon branding yourself appropriately on social media. Social media in Zimbabwe largely refers to either WhatsApp, Facebook with Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest being used to a limited extent. Our article will dwell on Facebook, which we believe is an alternative for online media social branding in Zimbabwe. I went to a function that was hosted by Zeeyaa Events not so long ago. After being thoroughly impressed with the show they put, we looked up their page on Facebook and we were impressed. Here is a company that has taken advantage of the resources available to market their product. Motivated by the use of Facebook in the country has also led to the appointment of the country’s tourism brand social media ambassador.

It is also interesting to note that one of the contributors to this newspaper in their column last week mentioned the need for entrepreneurs to take advantage of social media. This shows a convergence of unrelated mindsets in agreeing that the future of any business partly lies on leveraging on the distinct advantages of social media. Corporate businesses in Zimbabwe have not taken much advantage of social media marketing. Entrepreneurs and individuals have taken advantage of the multiple groups on Facebook to market their products and services. Some individuals have even gone a step further to create a brand and grow a following over a short period of time. Without social media the latest “Shut Down Zimbabwe” campaign would not have achieved much momentum. No one really went about the street appealing to the public to stay away from work but it was all on social media. Social media is therefore without doubt a powerful tool and imagine how much marketers can leverage on this “free” service to position their brand and push their product. All a marketer simply needs to do is:

lKnow and understand the target audience. This will help you speak in a way that your audience connects with you, including certain language and references that are popular in your target market.

lBe consistent in messaging and providing a steady flow of valuable and sharable content that is related to your brand.

lBe consistent in the use of colour schemes and designs that are found on your logo. It creates a lasting impression and ease of reference on your followers’ mindsets.

lLeverage on existing momentum and leveraging on reputable influencers through tagging or mentioning names when sharing content.

lEngage with the users through posting regularly and replying timeously, including posting on other pages. Most customers are lost when there is no response to enquiries and concerns.

lTrack and review your social media efforts through analysing comments, likes and questions on your page. lPromote your social media page by including it on brochures, newspaper adverts and other forms of media. Taking a passive approach to social media will not bring results.

The internet now offers so many tools to promote your brand on Facebook. You can engage your audience and promote your page through applications like Pagemodo which help you build a professional page as well as offer functionality to engage followers through videos, slide shows. You can also look for an innovative professional content designer to take your social media branding to a new level. I have come across some impressive work by a company called C2 Media.

Till next week, keep reading and remain tech-brand savvy.

lStha Magida is contactable on [email protected]. Her co-writer in this article, Mufaro Zhou is contactable on [email protected]