Social media is vital for building your brand and is one of the most powerful branding tools available for businesses. Whether you’re a social media novice or consider yourself to be up to speed with developments, this post shares some top tips for using social media to strengthen your brand.

Encourage your employees to use social media: I’m a big believer that employees should be allowed to use social media in the workplace. With workable guidelines in place, encourage staff to post photos of your workplace and share what a typical day is like at your business with your followers.

Post about certain topics related to your brand: carve out your online and overall identity by posting about topics that relate to your brand. This can be news and trends about the industry you operate in, or sharing ideas about areas that you want to target.

Consider having a blog: blogs can help to boost the SEO of your website and it’s a great way to create a portfolio of expertise. A mix of original and shared content is an easy way to start.

Use social media consistently: it’s essential that you post on your platforms regularly. Consider using scheduling tools like Hootsuite to help you post on your channels, and set aside time each day to check out your feed, find new followers and reply to any comments.

Find influencers: target social influencers, potential customers or those who are a good fit for your brand. It’s also important to target journalists and bloggers who fit with your brand by sharing their postings across your platforms.

Have a crisis plan: in case things don’t go to plan, make sure you have a crisis plan that you can implement stat!

How have you used social media to build your brand? Let us know in the comments!