Social Media: How to build a brand-driven community

By Nick Westergaard, creative/account director, Westergaard Advertising

Branding is important. I gotta get me some of that.

Social media is critical. I gotta get me some of that, too.

Branding and social media are kind of squishy things. Industry thought leaders wax philosophically to the point that these terms have both become things we all nod our heads at with no real understanding of what they mean and, more importantly, no knowledge of what we need to do next to fully realize their power.

In general, most accept that it's in an organization's best interest to build a strong brand. With more than 1,500 daily brand messages waging war for each person's top-of-mind mental real estate, brand building really isn't an option - it's a necessity.

The same is true of being involved in social media. With Forrester reporting that there are more than 500 billion brand messages transmitted via social media each year, it's clear that this is an incredible branding tool that isn't going anywhere.

Branding and social media seem like they should be a potent combo - the chocolate and peanut butter of your business. But how do these two things go together?

BRAND FIRST

You have to be something before you can build something. Or as Lee Clow of TBWA/Chiat Day tells us, “The reality of the new media world is that if your brand does not have a belief, it does not have a soul and (if it) does not correctly architect its messages everywhere it touches consumers, it can become irrelevant. It can be ignored, or even become a focal point for online contempt.”

With a clearly articulated brand you start to attract fans and followers both online and offline. Over time, this builds to a community of rabid followers.

It's nothing new. We see it with cult brands such as Apple and Harley Davidson, where long lines and waiting lists are badges of honor among community members.

However, as so many things, social networking has democratized media. Now brands large and small have the potential to reach millions with little to no marketing budget.

It's this simplicity, though, that leads many to dive in without heeding Clow's words and clearly defining their brand DNA first - who they are, what the believe, why they do what they do and what icons and visuals help tell that story.

THE BRAND-DRIVEN COMMUNITY

If there's another overused and abused word in social media marketing today, it's the concept of “community.” Building community is great. However, using social media to create a brand-driven community of fans around your products, services, and organization provides a bit more of a graspable framework.

We can even extend the “community-building” metaphor from the brick-and-mortar world to the online world as we build our brand-driven community with social media.

THE TOWN SQUARE: YOUR WEBSITE

Just as you can't build a strong community in the offline world without a town square, you also need a clearly defined center for your online brand community as well. Ultimately it has to be your website or blog - properties you own.

While you may cultivate your audience on other platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, you have to own your own content to reap the true long-tail benefits such as enhanced search traffic over time.

As with the town square in the offline world, all actives lead back to this central gathering place.

THE MALL: FACEBOOK

Walk into your community's mall and you're bound to see multiple people you know. The same can be said of Facebook - your online community's mall.

And like the mall it can be somewhat annoying as it can get crowded and hard to navigate. And there's a pretty good chance you'll run into someone you may not want to see.

But we have to fish where the fish are. With more than 750 million users, Facebook is certainly a population center full of potential customers.

THE NEWS OUTLET: TWITTER

Small businesses often “get” Facebook but are confused by Twitter. If you get the feeling - or better yet, research - that shows your audience isn't on Twitter, I promise you there is still one constituency of value. Your local media.

As such, Twitter can be the news outlet in your community and serve as your brand's online briefing room and public relations hub.

THE MOVIE THEATER: YOUTUBE

Your community also needs entertainment. People want all their senses engaged.

That's why providing a steady diet of videos and other engaging content snacks is a good idea. These make great social objects for your website but also gives your brand legs on another social network, YouTube.

Videos also allow you to humanize your brand.

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: LINKEDIN

Offline, we foster our professional networks via industry events and your local chamber of commerce. In our online community, LinkedIn is your brand's chamber and industry gathering, allowing you to connect with other professionals in your industry, create groups and build your company's profile.

Elementary, you say? Maybe. But with a graspable framework for building your brand with social media you not only have a quick and usable social media plan, you also are on your way to building that true, invaluable asset - the brand-driven community that will benefit your organization for years to come.