With all of the features and platforms available on the Internet, it isn’t always easy to stay consistent across every account. To keep your brand strong and identifiable to online viewers, creating a coherent, recognizable online presence is key.
Businesses will often post content and interact online in ways that are counterproductive to their brand without even knowing it. So, here are five mistakes to be aware of and avoid in the future:
1. Not maintaining a consistent voice online
Have you put thought into what you want to sound like online? If you have a business social media account, this is one of the first things you should do. Do you want to sound energetic and motivating? Then use exclamation marks and action verbs like “excel” or “improve.” Maybe you own a spa, and you want your business to seem tranquil and rejuvenating. In this case, you want to avoid using phrases that invoke stress, like “do this now!” or “don’t miss out!” Without putting thought into how you want your brand to sound, you’re more likely to be unpredictable to your audience – a branding no-no!
2. Being sporadic with posting
Do you post five times a week some weeks, and then not post at all during others? It’s probably hurting your brand. Customers are more likely to unfollow your company if you bombard their feeds with updates, and will also lose interest in you aren’t posting enough. There’s a sweet spot when it comes to sharing updates online, and it’s around the three-posts-a-week mark. If you have a large online following, more is okay – but content should still be varied and well curated.
3. Not knowing who your audience is
In a perfect world, we’d all be able to guess who our target audience is and get it right the first time. But determining who to focus your efforts on isn’t that simple. You have to do the research! Look at your analytics online. What age group makes up the majority of your followers? What interests are most common amongst your audience? Are the majority of your customers male or female? You need to know these things to get your content to the right people. Without narrowing it down, you’re less likely to form quality engagements online or see conversions (people clicking through from your social media account to your website, or making a purchase).
4. Forgetting to monitor the comments section
One wrong comment can destroy months of online progress for your business. It is imperative to watch what people are saying about your brand online – both on your accounts and websites and on others. Always check the comments on Facebook posts, review your mentions on Twitter, and Google your business regularly to see if any negative reviews appear. If you aren’t aware of what’s said, you can’t resolve any issues. Being proactive in this area is one of the most productive things you can do for your online brand.
5. You aren’t helping people find you online
You may have a stellar website, strong visual identity, and an active Facebook page, but if you haven’t optimized your site and content to make it easier to find you on search engines – you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps you show up in the places that people are looking for you, so you never go unnoticed. Without it, you could be missing out on hundreds of engagements and connections (which hurts your brand).
If your business is making any of the above mistakes and you aren’t quite sure what the best way to fix them is, BubbleUP can help!
Our team of informed and enthusiastic online marketing specialists can build your brand UP to where it needs to be.
