Social media stands as one of the primary online activities enjoyed by people and has been a staple aspect of marketing in recent years. Likewise, there is a growing need for people and businesses to have a presence in social media in one way or another to figuratively be there where others are looking, be they customers, potential employers, or bystanders.
A social media presence is exceptionally important when managing a company’s brand image, serving as an official representation of a brand by which a customer can interact with the people behind the business. A business’ official social media pages can be optimized to rank high in search engine results, while social media interactions can act as a barometer for brand perception by allowing people to interact with the brand’s owners and vice versa, curtailing potential problems early on, thus aiding in online reputation management proactively.
The goal of having social media pages is to have them be one of the first pages that a person sees when searching for a business name. Having an effective social media strategy that leaves a good first impression requires that social media pages not only offer quality and relevant content but also be laid out in a way that attracts but doesn’t overwhelm visitors.
Designing the pages to the best that customization has to offer is a key aspect of making a good impression to the viewers. The pages should be eye-catching and visually interesting enough to draw visitors to explore the pages and check out the content. The content itself should be worth the visitors’ attention and relevant both to the times and the brand, even if it isn’t specifically about the brand itself.
Choosing the right platforms is also crucial. Not all social media accounts focus on the same thing or serve the same function. A company can either focus on an appropriate social network fit for their industry (e.g., Instagram or Pinterest for retail businesses) or use a number of social media accounts for different purposes (e.g., Facebook for client interactions, LinkedIn for recruitment) and divert their resources appropriately.
As the saying goes, first impressions last, and merely having a few social networking pages is not enough to make a company stand out. Paying attention to the design, content, and strategy of the social media can help make it an effective way to impress viewers and help mold their perceptions of the brand.