Branding on Social Media Channels, who is this important to?

Branding on Social Media Channels: Who is this important to?

By Joshua Fedie

Principal | The “Adholics”

Starting my own company, and embracing Social Media as much as possible, I have found some interesting disconnects between a company’s branding and it’s Social Media Channels.

True: Branding is not just design, Branding is also the messaging that a company projects to the world, but both seem to be lost in many cases for many companies.

Is this Social Marketing concept really still too new, are we really still trying to figure it all out?

A little; yeah.

But one thing seems to have been unanimously decided, Social Media Marketing is not going anywhere, it is everywhere and it is time you embrace it, both personally and professionally.

But if you are going to go through the trouble of creating a company page on a social network, why not pull your visual branding into the mix? Is a generic theme really all you want to leave your visitor with? Do the birds panning across your Twitter page fit your Brand messaging?

Probably not.

Most social channels have a certain level of customization allowed (some more than others).

Use that capability!

Bring in your tag-line, your corporate colors, some added pizazz that leaves your visitor 100% certain that they are visiting the page of the group they intended.

A Twitter and/or Facebook page (to name a few) is arguably just as important today as a web site is to your future success. This is where your customer finds you today. They don’t call anymore, they don’t knock on your door, they Google you, they Tweet you, they Poke you and that’s how we learn about each other and the products and services in the world.

So please, I beg of you, let’s bring some Branding back into our interactive world! It is not enough for your web site to look the part; every tool needs to be in alignment.

It’s important, It’s a no-brainer, and the technology exists making it dare I say… easy?

Not quite ready to commit to SMM?

What’s that, you prefer 1 on 1 interaction?

Great; so whom have you interacted with lately?

It is true, the “Social” element seems to almost need a revolution these days, how social is a “Poke” after all? Nonetheless, this is how people are talking right now; you can ignore it if you want, but you’ll be ignored in the conversation, and forgotten should the real “Social” element come back into the picture.

And it will; it’s already heading that way.

For example: I just signed up to be a member of an interactive group of Social Media Marketers engaged in the practice of pulling “Social” back into the picture. This is an online community that actually meets! IN-PERSON!

The group I am referencing is Social Media Breakfast MSP, You can find them on the web at http://smbmsp.ning.com. They have local chapters around the country, so if you are reading this outside of Minnesota you probably have a local chapter as well. Please check out The “Adholics” profile at: http://smbmsp.ning.com/profile/JoshuaFedie_TheAdholics while on the site.

This is just one of the many Interactive Social groups making the leap of getting back to the face-to-face discussion that is too important a part of business to be forgotten.

But remember, 9 times out of 10 they find you first online, so lets look good when they find us!

I like to think that my group has done a good job of keeping our messaging/branding aligned across the various social channels, but feel free to be the judge for yourself.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheAdholics

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Minneapolis-MN/The-Adholics/276466962727?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts

And one final note, just because you went to Cabo recently and consumed a Margarita larger than your head, does not make it a good profile picture. (Unless of course you sell Giant Margarita glasses for a living, or want your friends to stage an intervention.)

But I digress.

Cheers,

Josh Fedie

The “Adholics”
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