The earlier blog post on brand strategy gives some tips on how to avoid some common mistakes in developing your brand strategy. If company name, domain name and trademark are the foundation, then social media channels are the ground floor or first floor if you are in the US.
You cannot ignore Social Media
Social media is becoming increasingly important and you need to decide which channels are likely to be relevant to your business in the future. Not just now, but in the future. Even if you are not using social media, your prospects, customers and competitors will be! If you are manufacturing a finished product that will be bought by consumers, you will need to consider both B2B and B2C social media channels.
Think of the analogy of being in crowded room , packed full with your competitors, top customers and some companies you would love to win. You want to listen to the conversation and be heard as well as listen.
According to Google, 84% of American shoppers are engaging with brands at the The Zero Moment of Truth.
Naming all your Social Media Channels
This means that there is more than company name, domain name and trademark to consider when developing your brand. It is very important to secure all the social media channels at the same time as registering your domain name. The availability of social media usernames or channel names may even be a factor in deciding on your brand name. You do not want to find out some time later that that you cannot use your brand in one of the major social media channels.
Have a simple channel name that stands out!
You want to have a simple channel name that stands out and is easy to remember.It is no accident that Business to Markets has the same name “B2MGlobal” for all four!
This was a careful choice and combines both website www.b2m.co.nz and blog www.GlobalMarketingInsight.com.I concede that the company does not own the domain name B2MGlobal. The Spanish guys running the enterprise level mobile business application in 186 countries must have been taking a very long siesta when social media took off!
You too may have to compromise and settle for second best. One constraint is that the Twitter username has a limit of 15 characters, with no spaces. You may want to have more than one Twitter account: one for you representing your company and the other for your personal use. You can also have multiple accounts for other social media channels.
Be clear to distinguish between your Facebook Profile, which is about you and your Facebook Page which is about your business.
You can now have Pinterest for Business. Check out the B2MGlobal Pinterest profile to see how it can be used.
Contact me if you would like some help clarifying which social media channels you should be using
Simon Fawkes
Accredited Mindshop Facilitator
Business to Markets Ltd
