Branding through Social Media

Social Media Club presentation 3-31-09

Connect your brand to the bottom line
Who cares about number of followers if they aren't writing you checks.

Have users use your services/brand not just for their own end, but to the brand's end.

Turn brand evangelists into sales force.

Listen to the market. No such thing as bad publicity.

Chat with people and influencers before announcements. Watch out for "accidental spokespeople" (?)

Piggyback on major brands and their events (like 3rd party stamp of approval). Joint ventures with them.

Peer mailing - service - ad is yanked if it doesn't get clicked through a certain percentage of the time

Awareness: People know about your brand
Brand: Why they should care
Cancer awareness is really high, but no one wants it.

-avoid opinion leaders... make them afraid they're missing out, make them afraid of brand evangelists
-must articulate brand strategy to evangelists and give them tools to evangelize
-get small ones to love you and go out and evangelize

-Set their expectations so you can fulfill them - say what you are not

-now not just influencers, but influencer communities represent a demographic
--often attached to big demos and have organized meetings and tweetups
--food community, for example, is big, as are mommy bloggers

-If you have a negative thread, link it to positive or neutral threads on the subject, also listen

Bakespace
-launched at the same time as another competitor, meant it was a trend, and then was able to piggyback on the other site's PR
-Site that attracts brands that partner