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The ROI of Finding The Right Digital Platform to Market Your Business Online by @DinaArsenaultPR

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by Dina Arsenault | Featured Contributor

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The ROI of social media is your business will still exist in 5 years.” – Erik Qualman

A statement that rings truer today in 2017 than it ever has before.  But, the answer is not simply to have a presence online, it is to have the right presence on the right social media platforms that best suits you and your brand values. Understanding and discovering  every facet possible surrounding who your target audience is, is paramount for you and your business to succeed online.  What are their likes, dislikes, demographics, age, gender, socio-economic status, do they prefer cream or milk in their morning coffee – You name it!  In having this understanding you can then determine which social media platform they tend to use and more importantly HOW do they use them.

Yes you read that right, how they use them – Either for personal social sharing, for discovering businesses to engage and possibly do business with or both.

A prime example of this, is the general assumption that Millennials have abandoned platforms like Facebook, and only use ones like Snapchat or Instagram.  Well, this is only partially correct.  It is true that Millennials have flocked to Snapchat, the very creative, in the now social media platform that allows for real time communication mixed with fun and interactive filters for both picture and video.  Talking with their friends and colleagues on a personal level has never been more creative and enjoyable.  So yes, it is true that Millennials have abandoned Facebook for personal social sharing but, when it comes to checking out businesses or products they are interested in purchasing or doing business with, they definitely still use Facebook.  In fact, it has been reported that over 41% of Millennials still use Facebook daily.

A demographic who has grown up in a technological age, they have become quite accustomed to using social media to determine if a business they are interested in, is worth their time and or money.  How long does it take for a business to answer an inquiry left on their page?  Do they respond to comments?  When was the last time they posted? Does what they post provide value or does it constantly sell or broadcast; what we at a Cue Creative Consulting like to call it.  All of these elements play a part in determining if a prospective individual will want to do business with you.

In essence, your social media platform is generally the very first customer service experience prospective clients will have with you.  What If we were to flip the script and concentrate on ROR – Return on Relationship rather than ROI – Return on Investment?  Can you just imagine how much better of a first, second or one hundredth impression you will be making with your target audience?  It really is a no brainer – Build those relationships online and the sales will come, guaranteed.  It might not happen instantly but it will happen I promise.

But, how do I choose which social media platform to build those relationships on?

To help you make this decision I will break down the basics of each platform.

Here we go.

Facebook

Facebook really is a must have for any and all businesses online.  It still is the powerhouse when it comes to online social media marketing.  Now with the advent of Facebook LIVE video streaming, the doors have been swung wide open for businesses to uniquely market and connect with their audiences online and build those all so important relationships.  Let customers get to know the people behind the logo, and in turn, they will become your biggest cheerleaders online.

Twitter

Is a platform centered around the art of the conversation.  Unlike Facebook, Twitter really is centered around the landscape of being ‘in the moment’.  It really is perfect for those businesses who have things to say frequently and want to engage directly.  Ideal for breaking news or current events.

Instagram

Is a perfect platform to reach the younger generation online through the art of visuals.  It shows no sign of slowing down while it continues to gain traction with the 30 to 45 yr old demographic.  The recent addition of Instagram Stories helps take the customer/user experience behind the scenes of you and your business allowing them to get to know, like, and trust you and your brand in a much deeper way than ever before.

YouTube

YouTube is the second largest search engine and the third most visited website world wide just behind Google and Facebook.  This makes it a perfect tool for marketing through google search engines.  Simple how to videos, behind the scenes clips, product demos etc are all perfect examples of how to utilize this platform.  It really is suitable for most businesses, especially those that are in creative or visual fields.

Pinterest

Typically it has been reported that the majority of its users are under the age of 40 and are typically female. They generally have an income over $100 k per year.  It really is an important tool to keep you in the know of what the current or upcoming trends are.  Pinterest tends to influence customer purchases, especially with the addition of buyable pins directly within the platform.

I hope this breakdown gives you some basic insight of what each platform has to offer and how you can utilize them for you business.  Ideally, no business can or should be on all platforms.  I suggest that you pick the top 3 that would best suit your needs and devote the time, energy and commitment needed to really make social media work for you and your business.

Bonus Tip:  If you find even if after reading this blog you are still not sure how to figure out which platform is best suited for you and your business – Check out what your competitors are doing online.

What platforms are they using?  What kind or reaction or engagement are they getting, ie. likes, shares and or comments they are getting on their posts?  And more importantly, what are they doing right to build those relationships online and what are they doing wrong?  Identify where they are falling short and you have found a niche that you can fill.

If you have any questions about social media or how to determine which platform would best suit you and your business.  I invite you to give me a shout, and I would be more than happy to support you in your digital marketing needs!

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Dina ArsenaultDina Arsenault Digital Media Strategist and the undisputed reigning Madame of creativity, community and connection for the Ontario Chapter of http://acueconsulting.com/.

A celebrated and sought after speaker and writer, Dina is a caffeine fueled and food delighted ( locally sourced of course) Community Builder, Relationship Nurturer and all around Small Business Supporter. Dina’s online expertise is driven by her desire to promote your business online while connecting and elevating others in the process to foster community and the all around ‘good feels’.  If you want to be visible, connected and engaged with your community (and exposed to great food and fun) Dina is your gal!

Connect with Dina: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Snapchat: dinaarsenault7

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Creative Entrepreneurs and Premium Pricing by @mayachendke

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Hansen Equestrian lessons about premium pricing for creative entrepreneurs.

by Maya Chendke | Featured Contributor  

Setting the Scene for Premium Pricing

As an expensive hobby, the horse industry is particularly brand conscious. So when Sarah Hansen set out to build a fashion brand for it, she knew she had to create coveted products at a premium price.

Sarah’s company, Hansen Equestrian, has been taking tack rooms by storm with her stylish and durable equine blankets and rider accessories. Her products feature classic styles with bold prints and practical design that only a true rider would appreciate.

Let’s face it, you can’t ignore a Clydesdale wearing damask.

“The whole concept was to design something that is classy, high-quality and functional,” says the entrepreneur. “There are a lot of items that are one or two of those, but very few that are all three.”

Hansen’s aunt owns a pet bed manufacturing company, and it was excellent training to have that ‘in’ to the world of fashion and manufacturing for doted-upon pets. She recognized that her aunt’s strategy with dog beds could also be applied to equine fashion.

“These beautiful beds would fit into your home décor,” says Hansen, noting that the premium price would itself be part of the branding. She also wanted to manufacture locally in Canada, which meant she was looking at steep pricing battles against less-innovative competitors.

“[My product] would cost more than anything else you could find on the market, so I knew that if it was going to cost more, I needed to make the right choices.”

Armed with $5,000 from an inheritance, Hansen set out to build her brand, methodically and strategically. She measured dozens of horses, examined scores of horse blankets, and developed her keen eye for what she liked, but also, what did not work.

Pricing for Profit, Not Charity

Hansen credits her uncle for the firm advice of not pricing based on what you think a customer will pay, but rather to price based on what things actually cost – and then adding adequate margins. It seems logical, but it’s a hard concept for creative entrepreneurs as there is always a temptation to focus on volume, rather than holding strong to brand principles.

At the premium end of the spectrum, Hansen says the ‘sale’ sticker is suicide. No matter how cute or novel an object, selling anything at a low price or as a loss-leader will bring down the perceived value of everything else.

“As soon as you put something in the bargain bin, you can’t take it back out,” Hansen warns.

She began her business by tapping into customers with smaller, less expensive products like a helmet bag to help introduce people to her manufacturing and production promise. Along the way, also experimented with other products but chose to pull some of them when she realized they didn’t fit her goals (or produce the right results).

As much as creativity and design are critical to a brand, so is the need to be analytical and able to shelve products that aren’t performing.

Scaling

Finding retail partners willing to work with a firm branding principle is also tough, but Hansen is smart about building her direct-to-consumer reputation at trade shows and online.

“It is really exciting to see my products going places that I’d never been,” she says of her reach with ecommerce.

In building up retail partnerships, it’s important to consider alternative options that can protect premium status (such as offering different types of return policies in lieu of discounting). Hansen’s strict branding philosophy is working and her sales are growing in a competitive market.

While Hansen’s dedication to the hustle keeps her non-stop busy between product development, sales, marketing, and events (and a day job to boot), she also makes time to do what inspired this whole business journey in the first place.

“I just want to ride,” she says with a smile.

Sarah Hansen of Hansen Equestrian and her wares.

Stocked and loaded: A car full of supplies en route to a trade show

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Maya Chendke She Owns ItMarketing consultant, entrepreneur, writer and horse mom Maya Chendke is going through a powerful start-up year. Her company, mPath Creative Consulting, works on website, marketing, content and social media projects that flex her signature hybrid style of creative/analytical. She is also part of a virtual anti-agency, Horsefly Group, where she leads clients with clever ideas and her color-coded iCal.

Her entrepreneurship track record includes a couple of start-ups and a self-published novel (Awake but Dreaming). A rogue introvert, you’ll spot her at start-up meetings sporting riding breeches and a messy bun as the Woz to her Jobs-like partners (or the Sandberg to their Zuckerbergs).

Maya has an MBA from the Rotman School of Management where she was a standout presence in the male-dominated business school environment. She has a certificate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business Summer Institute for General Management and a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University.

She loves to help people make the most of their marketing budget and has an addiction to analytics. She is always on the lookout for great talent and great projects and loves to facilitate introductions.

In her downtime, she’s diligently rehabilitating her rescue horse and reads ~20 books a year. Tweet her @mayachendke

7 Social Media Marketing Strategy Myths that Need to Stop by @SocialSavvyGeek

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7 Social Media Marketing Strategy Myths that Need to Stop

by Laura E. Pence | Featured Contributor 

There are many things that business owners “know” about marketing. Unfortunately, there are some rumors and myths that persist in online marketing even though there is little, if any, truth to them in practice. Without further ado, here are the 7 most common misconceptions that I face from potential clients during a discovery session:

1. Social Media is Free

Myth: Whomever started this rumor did everyone a huge disservice. Come on, people! Since when has anything that you do in your business EVER been FREE? There is always some investment of time, energy, resources, or money (and usually some combination.) Realistically, there is nothing worth doing that is truly free and for good reason. If it were so easy then everyone would do it and it wouldn’t likely be very effective. All this myth does is give business owners unrealistic expectations and ultimately, disappointment.

Truth: Most social media platforms are free at the basic level for businesses and free for casual users, but to get the maximum benefit there are fees for extra features and analytics. There are also advertising costs associated with reaching your target audience; Facebook is pay to play for businesses. Perhaps the most overlooked cost is the time and energy. Content doesn’t plan and create itself!

2.You Don’t Need a Website

Myth: If you have a successful Facebook page, then you don’t need a website. (This also applies to any social or blogging sites on which you participate that you don’t OWN.)

Truth: You need a website. Period. It should be your hub and it’s owned property. Don’t get me wrong… Facebook is great! But, repeat after me… It does not replace a traditional website. A few reasons why this is the case: You don’t get the same depth of data and user behavior from Insights. You don’t control the user experience. Facebook regularly changes the playing field so that what used to work may not work anymore. Facebook can shut your page down at any time without giving you advanced warning or access to your database. Don’t give your power away like that!

3.If You Build it They Will Come

Myth: You created a gorgeous website, set up all the social media pages that you can think of, and even listed your business in every online directory you could find… so now the leads will coming rolling in!

Truth: You completed step one and it’s a great start, but this is not Field of Dreams. People will not magically find your site. At a minimum you need a strategic plan to follow that lays out what type of content to create, where to publish it, and how often (and you actually have to follow it!)

4. Your Millennial Intern Can Run Your Online Marketing

Myth: Millennials are naturally technologically advanced and know how to do everything online because they grew up online. You can set them loose on your social networks and reap the benefits. (This also applies to younger family members working in your business.)

Truth: Generally speaking, Millennials ARE comfortable using social networks. The huge caveat to this is that they have experience using them for personal use, not business! There is a massive difference between knowing how to use a tool and having the experience to know what you should do with it. Would you hand over your accounting or business planning duties to an intern without training, supervision, and oversight? No? Then why would you do it with your marketing that everyone sees? That’s not a great idea. Now, by all means, have your intern work with a seasoned professional and they will both benefit from learning a new point of view and way of doing things.

5. Email Marketing is Dead

Myth: People are inundated with email and the last thing they want to do is get more. Therefore, email marketing is dead.

Truth: Email marketing is far from dead. As a matter of fact, it’s still the number one driver of sales in business. It’s a great way to connect with your current, past, and potential clients. The key is to segment your database and send messages to each segment that make sense. One message does not fit all. Allow people to opt in and control what type of messages they want to get and then give them what they ask for in a reasonable manner.

6. SEO is Over

Myth: Google has killed Search Engine Optimization. The algorithms have stomped it out and now it’s a waste of time, energy, and money.

Truth: Gaming the system has always been a bad idea and risky investment even when it was somewhat effective. Posting quality articles to your blog, building relationships that lead to natural backlinks, getting published on 3rd party news sites, and other legitimate SEO friendly activities have always been and will always be a good use of resources.

7. You Have to Be Everywhere

Myth: Your business needs to be on every social media site to be seen. Now. Today. All at once!

Truth: That’s just silly. It is far better to go deep on one social channel than to go wide on all of them. If you have the time, budget, and resources to do it all at once, then yay for you! Go for it! That is hardly ever the case, so more often than not you will need to research where your ideal clients are most active online and focus your attention there first. People’s habits change over time and you may need to adjust accordingly.

How many of these myths have you heard, yourself?

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As President of Social Savvy Geek, LLC. (www.SocialSavvyGeek.comLaura E. Pence President Social Savvy Geek), Laura E. Pence is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and business owners to meet and exceed their goals. She is committed to providing the most engaging and effective strategies for online marketing by combining traditional business networking and marketing fundamentals and best practices with current and engaging online marketing methods and tactics. Laura has worked with some of the top names in Internet Marketing and has consulted with entrepreneurs, businesses, and nonprofits in the US and abroad. She is the author of the popular article, 10 Tips to Build Your Twitter List Now, which has been published both online and in print in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. Connect with her: @SocialSavvyGeek LinkedIn Facebook

A lifetime student herself, Laura has achieved certification as a Computer Administrative Specialist at Beta Tech and has studied Art Education, History, Art History, and Criminal Justice at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is fascinated with learning, sharing and growing, not just in business, but in life. She participates in US Masters Swimming and has ranked in the top 25 in her age group in both the 50 and 100 yard backstroke. She served in the VA Army National Guard as a Combat Engineer in the 229th Engineer Battalion. She never meets strangers, only friends not yet made– an attitude that serves her extremely well in the networking world, both online and off. She currently lives in Denver, CO with her 2 year old daughter.

Tis The Season For Giving Back by @LUCYrk78

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Tis The Season To Give Back

by Lucy Rendler-Kaplan | Featured Contributor

Many businesses realize that affiliating themselves with charities are not only a great opportunity to get involved in giving back, but it is also a powerful marketing tactic. The business gets to develop a larger network and it helps others at the same time. Consumers like to associate themselves with businesses that support causes – while they may not have the means to donate regularly to a charity (even if they wanted to) it makes people feel good that they are giving back while purchasing something they need.

This idea is nothing new – the idea of companies “giving back” goes by many different names and uses a variety of marketing slogans: Social Corporate Responsibility (CSR) and “Voting With Your Dollars” are the two I tend to hear most often. Simply put, CSR refers to the idea of participating in initiatives that benefit others.

As a marketing or brand manager, it can be confusing and overwhelming to decide what charity to align with. Once you have done your research and found charities that are worthwhile, transparent with where the donations they receive go and have similar views and visions, how do you pick one? When I do this with clients, I tend to choose charities that I am personally drawn to, and also ones that seem to be close to my consumers’ hearts. It is more important that the chosen charity would be one that my current and target consumers would support, than if I would support it with my own money.

The next criteria to choosing a charity from a brand standpoint, is one that gives the brand a broader reach than they would get on their own, and brings a meaningful and engaged community to your brand. This is a win-win for both you and your charity. Charities, like brands, are interested in building their membership base. Partnering with a charity not only brings their community to you, but it also allows the charity to get their message out to all the people your brand interacts with, with the goal being to bring new members to support them, as well as your brand. Cause marketing is actually no different than any other partnership you might form between your brand a for-profit business. You are looking for another like-minded company, where by coming together, you both will have the opportunity to amplify your messaging with a shared voice.

As you build up the relationship between your brand and the charity you have aligned with, you will want to get in front of the employees that work with the charity and explain your product or services to them. Most charities also have people that follow the charity or support the charity in some way. These people are all target consumers by indirect association. As the relationship deepens, you can look to these people to become brand ambassadors, as their charity will also benefit from your brands success. Perhaps you are donating a specific portion of your brand’s sales to the charity- you can invite the charity to help get the message out that they will be the beneficiaries of sales during a specified time period.

While you are working on a charity marketing initiative, it is important to keep your motives clear. I would suggest that the end goal is always helping people, making a difference.

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Lucy Rendler-KaplanLucy Rendler-Kaplan is a marketing veteran, with close to 17 years experience in field marketing management public relations and social media marketing. Both in-house and as a consultant, Lucy has created, developed and managed marketing projects for organizations including: Red Bull North America, ONE Coconut Water, Camel and Ethos Water, to name a few.

Most recently, Lucy has left corporate America to work as a consultant, focusing on small businesses and start-ups to design effective social media and marketing strategies to jumpstart brand growth. In addition to strategic business development efforts, she directs media relations, branding, advertising and website development.

As a social media consultant, Lucy works with companies in auditing their current social media efforts and creating a comprehensive social media strategy that aligns company-wide objectives through social business practices.

With an early background in journalism, Lucy regularly contributes to a number of NFL and music blogs, as well as her own, with a diverse focus encompassing Lucy’s passion not only for networking and marketing but also for fitness. She spends her free time honing her photography skills, running and watching an excessive amount of true crime shows.

Let’s connect! Twitter & Linkedin

Make Your Social Media Great by @mwqpr

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by Michelle W. Quinn | Featured Contributor

Make Your Social Media Great

Social media can be exhausting.

It involves pinpointing a target audience, followed by posting at relevant times with strategic creativity. The job is underestimated. It’s almost like a layered cake, where the separate hidden layers are what make it great…

Who knew posting pictures could have this much to it? What you thought may be an easy task ends up being mentally draining. Additionally, when you’re running a social media account for a particular business, the job is even more grueling.

How do you keep your business’ social media successful, as well as staying successful in your day-job? A social media audit can help by giving you direction. It helps eliminate what you’re doing wrong, and where your strengths are. It finds the information necessary for maintaining an effective social media platform, helping you to keep your sanity.

A clear, cohesive message across each social media platform is critical in attracting your target
audience. Your followers initially followed you because they have interest in your business’
message and style. Keep this apparent in each post. And through which platform are you
sending this message? Facebook? Instagram? Twitter? For whatever content you’re posting, it should be catered around which platform you plan on using. A majority of Facebook users consist of the Baby Boomer generation. Instagram, however, is mostly occupied by Millennials and younger.

So, which platform you use should depend on your audience. What about the platforms that are newly trending? Snapchat and Tumblr being examples. These platforms allow you creatively demonstrate your content while reaching a wide array of audiences.

TRistoranteo understand how to maintain a successful social media profile, we’re giving ONE lucky She Own’s It reader a COMPLIMENTARY social media audit.

A social media audit will report and update suggestions for your own social media. It allows you to enjoy your social media strategy, knowing the outcome will be successful. Have your layered cake and eat it too!

Kickstart your social media audit today!

 

 

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Michelle QuinnMichelle W. Quinn is the founder of MWQPR a Lifestyle Public Relations & Marketing Agency. A seasoned marketing, public relations and social media professional, she leads highly effective global marketing, communications, strategy and customer advocacy campaigns. She has experience across diverse industries, particularly Luxury, Retail, Technology, Travel, Hospitality, Financial Services and Consumer Goods in both corporate and consulting roles. Michelle has acquired a deep understanding of client profiles and needs from small business owners to the affluent global consumer.

Currently preparing to launch an online program for small business owners to embrace their social media and marketing strategy.  Michelle is fluent in Italian and currently studying French. A quick wit, New York sense of directness and superstar Auntie, Michelle also volunteers with Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, supporting their Race Across America Campaign.

Connect with Michelle: Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Building Brand Loyalty through Surprise and Delight by @lucyrk78

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Building Brand Loyalty through Surprise and Delight

by Lucy Rendler-Kaplan | Featured Contributor

Smart brands know that they are driven by their consumers, that without regular repeat buyers and without reaching new potential consumers, they won’t stay in business for long. Smart marketers know the value of personalized one-on-one relationship building, and that nurturing those relationships requires going above and beyond ‘typical’ customer service.

I’m definitely one of those people that regularly says “I hate surprises!” But that’s not entirely true. I hate the kind of surprises that come from sentences beginning with “I need to come clean about something,” or “(insert deep intake of breath here) We need to talk about ____.” On the flip side, an unexpected surprise can often make someone’s entire day. It can happen in the line at Starbucks when out of the blue, the barista says “This one’s on me!” Or it can occur when a waiter brings you a free dessert just because. It can even happen on social media, after an interaction with your favorite brand.

Surprises can show people that they matter to you, that you are listening to them. For brands, these surprises are often a way to create immediate emotional connections with consumers, leading to a deeper sense of brand loyalty and advocacy.

While turning this into a marketing tactic might sound a bit off putting, smart marketers understand what is behind the idea of “surprise and delight.” Brands are employing surprise and delight strategies (also known as “Random Acts of Kindness”) on social media, through sponsored events, in-store demonstrations, advertising and more. “Surprise and delight” is going one better. Taking customer service a step further, anticipating the needs of your consumers and offering them a solution before they even realize they have a need. Not only is this a great way to create buzz and brand loyalty with current fans and consumers, but it’s also a great way to build, find and create new consumers, thanks to social media and the fact that most people, when delighted, will share their experience.

It might sound funny to hear adults excited about receiving stickers in the mail, but that is just what happens when people receive a handwritten card and stickers from companies like SproutSocial and Buffer. Innately, we all like to be recognized, and turning away from technology to taking the time to write out a card, stick it in the mail with a couple branded stickers and give consumers an offline experience is meaningful. Adding elements of surprise and delight to your marketing efforts might take a bit more time, but it is a strategy that pays off in deepening consumer connections, creating long-term customers and brand advocates.

Social listening is the best way to find the people in your community that would be the best receivers of a surprise and delight experience, and delving deeper into their Twitter streams or Facebook pages will give you a glimpse of the best ways to employ this tactic. Not everyone wants stickers. Not everyone will wear a t-shirt. When you truly know the people you are looking to reach, you will find the best way to reach their hearts, and what ‘gifts’ they will find most meaningful.

Personal Real World Examples

I have mentioned that receiving stickers and handwritten cards in the mail are one of the ways that some online brands are using “surprise and delight” within their online communities. Here are some ways that I have personally done it:

  1. Brunch: As a marketing consultant, I travel a lot on behalf on my brands. For one of them, after engaging with a few people in the Chicago area for quite some time on Twitter and Facebook, I had an upcoming trip to the area. I reached out to 4 of the people I had gotten to know the best and invited them to brunch with me. I paid for brunch and brought them a little gift bag filled with product. I have continued to do this in the form on Tweet-Ups in other areas. When I know I am heading to a certain city, I will post about it on Twitter, tagging some of the members in that brands community that I have engaged with the most, and scheduled a tweet up with them. Not only does this give me the opportunity to show these people that I want to get to know them further, and that they are important to our brand, but it also gives them a chance to meet other people in the brands community. Odds are that they will have more in common than a love for my brand, and it can open them up to making new friends and developing relationships with people in their own city they otherwise might not have known.
  2. Experiences: As a CPG marketer, I often have the opportunity to work with artists and celebrities, and will occasionally receive tickets to their shows or backstage passes. I will take those gifts offered to me, and ask the artists if I can pass them along to members of the brands community, using them for contest prizes or simply surprising a random member of the brands Twitter followers. This gives that person an experience from the brand they otherwise could not have gotten on their own.
  3. Make My Day: I have a marketing program I call “Make My Day.” In cities that I have a dedicated street team, I will scour social media posts from people in that city and find someone that is posting about having a bad day, or that is upset about something that has happened. I will then reach out to them on that same social media platform and showing them that I’m paying attention, say something like, “I hear you’re having a rough day because of _____. I’d love to try to brighten it with (and then insert the name of your brand and their product)!” I will then see if they are at their office and send a member of my street team to their office with some free goodies, or if I cannot discern where this person is, I might ask them “Can you meet my team in one hour (so they have time to get there) at the corner of _____? We’ve got a little something for you!”

Things that might seem like not a big deal can often be a huge deal to someone else. These little things are often the difference between a good brand and a great brand. They might take a bit more time to organize, but it’s the people and brands willing to take a chance, try some different tactics and spend a bit more time showing their consumers how much they mean to the brand that can differentiate your brand and help you stand out.

What are some ways brands have surprised and delighted YOU? Tweet me @lucyrk78 and share those experiences!

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Lucy Rendler-KaplanLucy Rendler-Kaplan is a marketing veteran, with close to 17 years experience in field marketing management public relations and social media marketing. Both in-house and as a consultant, Lucy has created, developed and managed marketing projects for organizations including: Red Bull North America, ONE Coconut Water, Camel and Ethos Water, to name a few.

Most recently, Lucy has left corporate America to work as a consultant, focusing on small businesses and start-ups to design effective social media and marketing strategies to jumpstart brand growth. In addition to strategic business development efforts, she directs media relations, branding, advertising and website development.

As a social media consultant, Lucy works with companies in auditing their current social media efforts and creating a comprehensive social media strategy that aligns company-wide objectives through social business practices.

With an early background in journalism, Lucy regularly contributes to a number of NFL and music blogs, as well as her own, with a diverse focus encompassing Lucy’s passion not only for networking and marketing but also for fitness. She spends her free time honing her photography skills, running and watching an excessive amount of true crime shows.

Simple Ways to Build Trust on Social Media by @LUCYrk78

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by Lucy Rendler-Kaplan  | Featured Contributor 

Every day on social media you see people talking about the importance of brands learning how to engage with their consumers, be more “human” and above all, be honest and transparent. Think about your life – how long would you stay friends with someone you didn’t trust? Would you continue to keep working on building that relationship? The same goes for brands. In order to grow their consumer base, they must build relationships. And those relationships must be based on trust.

Social media has leveled the playing field, opening up the opportunity for small brands to have the same chance of reaching as wide an audience as larger, more established brands. Trust goes a long way in cutting through some of the “noise” on social media, helping even start-ups gain attention and interest of existing and potential consumers.

Here are 7 ways brands can begin to build trust with their consumers using social media:

  1. Quick and Responsive Communication: If I am happy with a company or a meal or customer service I’ve received, I am more likely to go straight to Twitter with my comment. I am less likely to fill out a comment card. I have my phone with me at all times, so it’s much more convenience to simply pull it out and type out a quick message to the company. Studies show that if someone has a bad experience, they will take to social media first to communicate their complaint. If brands receive a complaint via one of their social media channels, that is a great opportunity to quickly address the consumer, take ownership of the complaint and see what they can do to remedy the situation. I believe that most issues can be resolved and less consumers will be lost if brands do this in less than 5 hours from the time they received the message. This also shows on a larger scale to more people that the brand is listening and concerned with what people are saying. If handled correctly, a well handled complaint can often turn into a great testimonial for the brand.
  2. People Buy From People: People often talk about being the same online as they are offline. In my opinion, that’s the only way to be. You are only one person, and if you are the face behind a brand, you are trusted to be for a reason. There is nothing I can think of that would make a good case for making a different persona online. If you want people to trust your brand as they would a friend, you have to speak with them as if they were your friend. Being yourself on social media also helps in keeping a consistent voice. If you are friendly and engaging one day and the next day you are simply selling your product with every message, people are going to be confused by your messaging and confusion leads to mistrust.
  3. Create More Often Than You Curate: People who are looked at to be thought leaders have many people that trust them. While sharing posts on social media that you have not written is very common, if that is all you are doing, you are essentially showing that your brand has no original ideas of its own. You become more of an echo than someone to be looked to for answers your consumers are seeking. If you aim to truly gain respect and trust, you will need to show you can post timely original content that is relevant to your audience.
  4. Be Transparent: This does not mean you should reveal company secrets, but the more you show you have nothing to hide, the easier it will be for people to trust your brand. A good example would be, if someone posts a complaint on your brand’s Facebook wall, do not simply delete it. Address it, and leave it up on the timeline to show that you have nothing to hide and no matter what, you will listen to what people are saying and will address it.
  5. Be Accountable: We all make mistakes. You may have forgotten to send something out on a certain date, making a shipment arrive late, or you may have tweeted something that perhaps offended people. Don’t ignore or make excuses for these occurrences. Acknowledge that you understand what you have done wrong, and do what you are able to, to right the wrong as quickly as possible.
  6. Be Helpful: Remember, this is not about YOU. This is all about your consumer. By being a member of the community, and using social listening, you will find out what your consumers are seeking to find out, or what questions they may have. This is what should drive your content. Being someone’
  7. Do Not Auto-DM on Twitter: Just don’t do it. No. Matter. What.

These are just a few of many ways brands can build trust on social media. Remember that without your consumers, you don’t have a brand! Focusing on gaining the trust of your community as well as expressing gratitude for that trust will help you develop and deepen relationships, ensuring your business continues to grow.

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Lucy Rendler-KaplanLucy Rendler-Kaplan is a marketing veteran, with close to 17 years experience in field marketing management public relations and social media marketing. Both in-house and as a consultant, Lucy has created, developed and managed marketing projects for organizations including: Red Bull North America, ONE Coconut Water, Camel and Ethos Water, to name a few.

Most recently, Lucy has left corporate America to work as a consultant, focusing on small businesses and start-ups to design effective social media and marketing strategies to jumpstart brand growth. In addition to strategic business development efforts, she directs media relations, branding, advertising and website development.

As a social media consultant, Lucy works with companies in auditing their current social media efforts and creating a comprehensive social media strategy that aligns company-wide objectives through social business practices.

With an early background in journalism, Lucy regularly contributes to a number of NFL and music blogs, as well as her own, with a diverse focus encompassing Lucy’s passion not only for networking and marketing but also for fitness. She spends her free time honing her photography skills, running and watching an excessive amount of true crime shows.

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