In the Face of Social Media, Brand Managers Face the Passenger Seat

Brand managing is not the same as it used to be. With the advent of social media, and the ability of users to spread information among thousands or even millions of other users within seconds, it has become very difficult to manage brands with traditional means. For brand managers, that often means taking the passenger seat, but as our Los Angeles seo firm will show, that’s not always a bad thing.

Brands on Social Media

When it comes to shaping your brand and controlling your brand messaging, social media is a very different place to work with as opposed to traditional avenues. Traditional top-down advertising has a very limited application in an environment like this, if it has an application at all. The most trusted transmitters of brand are the fans themselves. Word of mouth is far more trusted than advertising messages on social media, so forget about crafting that special message.

The good news is, if you put out an excellent product or service, and you engage with your fans and treat them well, they’ll pretty much carry the brand for you. Fans will spread the word and defend your brand against negativity if you’ve been giving back to them. When it comes to social media, our Los Angeles seo firm focuses on interacting with the most passionate fans, placating the detractors, and everything in between. The fans take care of the rest.

No Place to Hide

In the world of social media, information travels fast, and there is no shortage of it for consumers to take in. Good news about your brand will travel fast, and bad news will travel even faster. A single tweet or Facebook update can spread like wildfire. Oftentimes attempts to control the flow of this information fails – or even backfires – due to the decentralized and autonomous nature of social media interactions. The best you can do is put out the best product or service you can, stay on top of your community interactions, and emphasize the positive depictions of your brand.

Engaging with Complaints

What happens if something harmful to your brand does happen to spread in the social media sphere? Many of the largest brands employ social media managers that carefully monitor key social platforms for complaints and negative opinions, and then do what they can to reach out and address any issues. Sometimes a simple human acknowledgement does the job, though bigger blunders may require some more legwork. Our Los Angeles seo firm usually turns to public relations techniques for situations like these, as the PR industry has a long history of coping with situations that are difficult to control.

Media Sharing

Oftentimes fans (and critics) will get creative with media and create parodies or extensions of your brand messages and advertisements. Sometimes, this type of media is done in good faith, and other times, it is intended as an attack on your brand. When the media takes on a new life of its own, it can be difficult to anticipate where this will go. Again, this remix culture is part of social media (and Internet) life. The best you can do is have a sense of humor about what people do with your brand, and emphasize and circulate the messages that benefit your brand.

Hire a Professional

Brand management has become a sensitive craft due to the touchy and temperamental nature of social media. It is a good idea to seek out a professional with experience in public relations and social media interactions. Coalition Technologies is a top Los Angeles seo firm with extensive experience in public relations and social media management.  We can help you build your brand according to the vision you have in mind and maintain that brand in the tumultuous social media landscape. Give us a call today at 1-877-989-7187 and get a free quote.

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