RiRi Okoye: How to Build your Brand on Social Media

If you are a business owner, it makes sense to build your brand on social media. Reaching large numbers is important. There’s around 3.96 billion users on social media, globally. That is over 49% of the world’s total population. These figures are growing daily. As a business owner you should capitalise on these platforms, especially as it not expensive to run ads.

But first, here’s a quick 101 about branding. A brand is a mixture of tangible and intangible attributes symbolised by a trademark, and, if managed properly, can create value and influence. Branding means creating a strong positive perception in the minds of customers. A good brand tells a good story, is memorable, stands out, is consistent, and is excellent.

Ten years ago, a friend of mine advised me to start a YouTube channel. I was new in business and didn’t have a clear niche so I started a channel and then stopped. At the same time that was a lady in the UK who had started her YouTube channel and today, she is an influencer earning over a million in pounds from social media. I guess she knew what she was doing.

Here is a 4-step strategy to build your brand on social media:

Audit

Assess your social media presence and check to make sure there are no gaps. For example, are you the only person with your brand name? You may have to seek legal advice if someone else has the same name as you. 

Set profile details across all your social media channels and make sure what you say is consistent. Ensure there’s a link to your website and your contact details for people to reach you. Also, make sure that you have a strong high-resolution photo that represents your brand.

Develop

In addition, decide what goals you are seeking to achieve on social media. Is it brand awareness, thought leadership, word of mouth, leads or sales? Also decide what social media sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, you want to appear on.

Create your content calendar plan. See the example:

• Monday – business motivation.
• Tuesday – testimonial.
• Wednesday – feature product of the week.
• Thursday – promo.
• Friday – fun day.

Engage

Social media is all about engagement, and the more you engage with your audience, the more the platforms will increase their algorithms for your brand so more people can see you. You can tell stories about yourself, show your brand story and share testimonials. Use video marketing like reels. Go live often and connect with your audience. Respond to comments. Reach out to your audience through direct messenger.

Measure Everything 

One thing I learned very early with marketing is to measure everything. This also applies to social media marketing. So the first thing to do is identify metrics with which you want to measure. They may include brand awareness, thought leaderships, word of mouth, leads and sales. You also have to analyse what worked well and what didn’t work well. How can you refine your goals? There are also apps like Hootsuite and Buffer that can help you. 

If you feel overwhelmed by social media marketing, then you can always hire a social media manager. It can take up to five years to build a strong brand but it may take less time on social media.

Follow the 4-step strategies and focus on being memorable, consistent, and excellent and watch your brand grow on social media. If you would like business resources from me, you can visit ririokoye.com or follow me on IG @ririokoye.

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Featured Image: Dreamstime