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Given the ubiquity of social media marketing these days, almost every business cultivates at least a minimal presence on the platforms where their target audiences spend time. So, the expertise of comms teams who understand the ins and outs—including potential pitfalls—of building and growing a brand on social media is more essential than ever to the healthy and sustainable growth of companies around the world.
While younger generations of professionals entering the communications field might be digital natives, they may not yet understand the best ways to engage with customers and prospects on social media in a brand’s voice. Below, 18 members of Forbes Communications Council discuss helpful tips they would share with brand-new comms teammates, based on their own hard-won insights into how to best manage a brand’s social media accounts.
1. Immerse Yourself In The Brand
I advise any new teammate to immerse themselves in the brand. In my role, I want to grow brand affinity among our employees, customers, partners and other stakeholders. We’re all brand ambassadors, and this extends beyond work hours—especially on social media. So, I explain the importance of understanding our company and culture. Both play a critical role in maintaining and defending our reputation. - Monica Kumar, Hitachi Vantara
2. Reference Your Personas
First, reference your personas—including demographics, psychographics and technographics—to understand your audience. Leverage that knowledge to decipher motivations; capture the “why.” The most popular social channel(s) may not be where your audience is, so understand why they’re where they are—for entertainment, learning or connection? Only then should you set, or reset, your social media strategy. - Simone Grapini Goodman, American Diabetes Association
3. Establish Clear Guidelines For Consistency
Consistency in messaging, tone, visual elements and overall brand identity is crucial for building brand recognition and loyalty among social media audiences. Therefore, it is essential to establish clear guidelines for social media communication that reflect the company’s values, goals and target audience. - Jawaher Al-Khuzaei, GWC
4. Approach Social Media As News Distribution
View social media as news distribution, and approach it as such. Know your audience and focus on storytelling directly to them in a way that is unique to your brand and its approach. Bonus tip: Social media leaders also hold a unique role in organizational culture; what you share, say and curate can lead to increased pride and happiness with the overall culture across internal audiences. - James Shackelford, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
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5. Check Personal Viewpoints At The Door
It’s crucial to check personal viewpoints at the door and professionally represent the brand in every post. An ill-advised post made without considering how it could be received by your audience can quickly erode the trust and credibility the company has worked hard to build and maintain. There’s value in writing a message, taking a break and reviewing it before posting. - Kay Midthun, Wisconsin Reinsurance Corporation
6. Define The Brand’s Objectives And Identities
Social media management needs continuous focus and synchronization, with short- and long-term strategies. To set up a new team member for success in managing our social platforms, two things should be communicated up front: clear definitions of the brand and channel objectives and the brand’s verbal and visual identities. These elements are critical for a strong start. - Nicole Braley, Inception Fertility
7. Clearly Understand The Brand’s Differentiators
To really make earned reach work for our objectives, it’s critical that new teammates work hard at clearly and precisely understanding our key differentiators. When you know how we’re truly different, you’re on your way to creating original posts, driving helpful new placements and curating reinforcing content from others. - John Steinert, TechTarget
8. Keep The Brand Identity In Mind At All Times
To ensure that every post and communications effort created under our name stays true to our brand, it’s crucial for new team members to have a clear understanding of who we are. Keeping our brand identity in mind at all times is paramount. - Alison Bringé, Launchmetrics
9. Dig Into The Data To See What Resonates
There’s a lot you can learn from the data that can inform which types of posts resonate best with your audiences. Dig into that data to see what people are viewing, what they’re clicking on and what converts. Then, you can use that to improve your content. - Kathy Sucich, Dimensional Insight
10. Stay True To The Brand
It’s crucial for social media pros to be discerning about whether participating in a given trend will strengthen or dilute the brand. Anything that strays from our voice or values isn’t something we want to participate in. When in doubt, do a gut check and ask yourself how this particular post is relevant to our brand and audience. If you don’t have a good answer, skip it. - Melissa Zehner, The Content Market
11. Focus On Adding Value
Ask, “Why would an individual follow an organization or brand on social media?” The answer is always the same: That organization adds some sort of value to their life. In order to add value as a brand, you must understand your audience and the things they care about. It’s also a great way to ensure that you stand out from the noise. - Dominic Garcia, StrongDM
12. Be Crystal Clear On Your Company’s Purpose
To succeed on social media, your company’s purpose must be crystal clear. This serves as the North Star to guide all efforts, including social media communication. Ensure each post connects to this purpose for consistency and clarity, strengthening your brand identity and driving meaningful impact. - Cody Strate, Novel Koncept
13. Understand The Brand’s Voice On Different Channels
Understand the voice of the brand for that particular channel. The same brand may have a voice that is helpful on YouTube, playful on Instagram and thoughtful on Facebook. The brand’s personality and voice should match the audience’s mindset for each channel. Knowing these distinctions helps build a more powerful narrative for the brand. - Bob Pearson, The Bliss Group
14. Understand Your Audience
I would advise a new teammate to understand our audience. Content is only as good as its relevance to the people to whom you want to provide value. If it’s clear that you are able to solve a problem they have and you provide the resources they need to achieve their goals, your social media content will work harder for you. - Monica Ho, SOCi
15. Be Clear-Headed When Replying To A Client
It’s crucial to be clear-headed when replying to a client, especially an unhappy one. Anger, frustration and tiredness can lead to carelessness and inappropriate responses. Take a moment to clear your mind before replying to provide a thoughtful and satisfying response. - Omar El Bahr, nandbox
16. Truly Know Your Company’s Users And Community
The No. 1 thing I’d teach a new teammate working on our social media communications is to truly know our users and community. Understand their needs and aspirations, engage by highlighting user-generated content, celebrate their successes and nurture authentic connections. This approach builds trust, reinforces our brand commitment and fosters a loyal, thriving community. - Juliana Chyzhova, Skylum
17. Ask For Help, But Own The Project
New teammates tend to want to show their value, and we encourage collaboration. But more important is ownership. Own the project, even if it’s a single post, from start to finish. “Check, double check” should be the norm, not the exception. - Ira Gostin, G8 Strategies LLC
18. Don’t Get Your Company Fired By Anyone
First and foremost, don’t get us fired—by a client, employees or the public. Make sure what you’re posting aligns with the company’s values and the vision of how the brand wants to be perceived. Don’t say things that could alienate, insult or be otherwise detrimental to your audience. It’s helpful for organizations to provide talking points to ensure everyone’s singing from the same hymnal. - Matt Naeger, Merkle
