Estimate how much time a typical potential customer spends on social media.

According to the most recent report on social media trends from GWI, the average person spends two hours and twenty-six minutes per day on social media. When you consider that one of the top three reasons people go online is to learn more about specific brands and products, you’ll see why a well-thought-out social media strategy is so important for the success of your small business.

While it’s true that getting your name out there to new customers and maintaining relationships with those you already have is a great reason to put resources into social media marketing, there’s another perk to being active on these platforms that many businesses (unfortunately) fail to take advantage of.

The power of social media to create and sustain a distinct brand identity cannot be overstated.

When people think of your company’s brand, what do they see on social media? And how can you make sure the brand’s daily messages serve both the immediate and distant futures? What is it?

Do people have faith in your product?

A lot of things have changed on a global scale in the past few years. There is a so-called crisis of trust as a result, which is bad news for businesses (as well as governments, media, and NGOs).

In Edelman’s most recent Trust Barometer report, 59% of respondents said their natural disposition is one of scepticism. One of the hardest things for small businesses to do is to convince new and old customers that they can be trusted and that they can provide for their needs.

Social media has the potential to make this process more manageable

In the first place, social media marketing helps your business maintain a consistent presence. The simple act of posting frequently, speaking in your brand’s true voice, and keeping your visual content consistent can do wonders for your brand’s reputation and visibility, giving your followers confidence in your brand’s reliability and steadiness.

When you consider that the brand consistently updates at a rate of one post per day, you can see why it has amassed a fan base of over 46,000 people who actively follow it online.

Techniques for Increasing Brand Reputation

The alternative is to employ brand credibility strategies to ensure the reliability of your company’s social media presence.

The use of influencers and micro-influencers in tandem is one such tactic (particularly with a diverse mix of online personalities). As a matter of fact, TINT claims in their latest report that:

Fifty-five percent of buyers are turned off by brands that constantly promote themselves.
Sixty-five percent of people would like to see more brands using a variety of voices on their social media accounts.
A whopping 78% of consumers are aware of when they are being advertised to and instead opt to conduct their own research by reading other consumers’ experiences online.
From this information, it is obvious that building relationships with credible and relevant people is essential to establishing trust among your followers and attracting new ones.

It’s worth noting that Transparent Labs is a company that does this exceptionally well and serves as an excellent model to follow. That business has established a solid online reputation thanks to the endorsements of respected figures in the fitness industry.

How much do you care about what’s best for your clients?

You can tell a lot about how much people think your brand cares about its customers by how active you are on social media.

You’ve probably experienced firsthand how major corporations can put profit before customer satisfaction.

For instance, chocolate packaging has shrunk dramatically in recent years. Smartphone makers have made billions by ostensibly caring about the environment by eliminating the need for power bricks in public phone booths.

In a fortunate turn of events, your company’s social media presence can help you persuade your followers that you’re not that kind of brand. The best part is that it needn’t be arduous to accomplish.

Emotional buy-in for your brand can be effectively prompted through the maintenance of an empathetic tone and the publication of posts that are genuinely helpful to your audience. Additionally, this tactic can aid in attracting an expanding customer base that bases purchases on the merits of the brand itself.

Do people find it easy to connect with you?

Your audience’s impression of your business will change drastically depending on how human and genuine your brand comes across to them.

As much as 86% of consumers, according to the research, place a high importance on the credibility of a brand when making a purchase. And the authenticity of a brand’s presentation is a major factor in whether or not consumers will spread the word about it. Furthermore, this trait will have an effect on their loyalty.

Keeping in mind the importance of being authentic with your target demographic (i.e., likeable, honest, and trustworthy), it’s not a bad idea to consider: what does your brand’s social media presence reveal about its character?

Research suggests that the amount of time spent on social media is proportional to how authoritative a brand is seen by the public. The good news is that this is incredibly simple guidance to follow if you want to use social media to humanise your brand.

Discretionary Reflections

Despite the fact that this article claims otherwise, the examples presented here show that social media marketing accomplishes something else entirely. Depending on how well your presence and voice are aligned with the values of your customers, it can help you establish the identity of your brand, guide the perception your audience has of your company, and even make or break your success.

And now is a great time to start considering what your company’s social media presence will say about your brand, whether you’re just launching your brand or have been in business for ten years.