Social media sites have changed the rules for business branding.  A shift has occurred.  Traditional branding is a 3rd person experience.  Social media now makes this a 1st person experience.  In this post, I will show some of the new rules for branding on social media.  Enjoy and prosper.

Traditional Branding 3^rd Person

Traditional business branding is a 3rd person experience.  You looked at your business to identify what is unique and special about it.  How is your business different from your competition?  What is your unique sell proposition (USP)?  When you uncovered this difference you find ways to express it in colors, in logos, in a short tag line that captures this business difference.  “When it positively, absolutely has to be there over night” Federal Express.

Social Media 1^st Person

Social media sites shift business branding to the 1^st person.  The goal of social media marketing is to create awareness and build relationships.  Your status updates, your Tweets, your comments, your videos are no longer places for the hard sells, for marketing manipulations.  You are a participant along with thousands of other participants on social media sites.  By sharing in conversations with others, you let them get to know you, like you and trust you.  These conversations have the power to lead to business relationships with others on the sites.

On social media sites, your personal qualities are more important than the qualities of your business.  So how do you build your brand under the new rules?

You start b y identify your passions about your business; your set of beliefs, your values.  What excites you about your business?  What drives you about your business?  What are the emotional sparks that connect you and your business with others?  Look for these emotional themes from within yourself.  Since there is only one you, you have no competition.

A Subject Near and Dear to Their Heart

Did you ever have a conversation with another person about a subject that was near and dear to their heart?  You could feel their passion about the subject.  Their gestures became animated.   You could hear and feel the energy in their voice.  You might disagree with them but there was no doubt about the power that resonated from them as they talked with you.

These are the types of conversations you want to share in your status updates, your Tweets, your comments, your videos.  It’s your passion, your core set of beliefs about your business, these emotional connections that should be your content.  When you share this way on social media sites, people get to know you, like you and trust you.  People follow people of conviction.

Conclusion

Social media marketing and branding have shifted from the 3rd person to the 1^st person. When you learn how to make this shift and share your personal convictions, beliefs and passion, your social media marketing will become more effective.

In the next post, I will show some of the practical ways to make this shift.

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

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