You listened to the social media gurus and marketing experts. You have a company blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook Community Page and a YouTube channel. Woohoo! Securing these accounts is just the beginning. If you’re not properly utilizing these channels, you could be doing more harm than good.

The key for success across all platforms is consistency. How can inconsistency hurt your brand?

1. When consistency is inconsistent – Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are separate entities for a reason. Are you employing the same tactics on each of these sites?  Lisa Barone of Small Business Trends hits the nail on the head, “Every social networking site is different and you need to create a different strategy for each site you decide to engage in — one that is customized to that site’s specific rules and code of conduct. Trying to run a one-size-fits-all approach will limit your ability to be successful anywhere.” This “consistency” can appear inconsistent because community members on different sites expect different interactions. You wouldn’t respond to a client’s voicemail message by sending a “snail mail” message, so don’t let your Twitter feed look like a carbon copy of your Facebook feed.
2. Blogging without purpose – Are your blog posts few and far between? Do you post four blogs in one day and then a week later, post three blogs on three different days? The most successful blogs are those that have new content on a consistent basis. Set attainable goals for your blog team. Blog posts don’t need to be 100% original content. Don’t be afraid to repurpose or aggregate content. When you have extra time, write a handful of posts so you always have some in your queue if you don’t have time to write fresh content on your scheduled posting days.
3. Presence without strategy – If your social media accounts are disjointed, your followers will be confused. What’s your message? What’s your goal? What’s your purpose? When you launch an ad campaign, are you flying blind or are you targeting a specific audience? Social media strategy should emulate your traditional marketing strategies. The only difference is your audience. Determine your goals and have a clear strategy.
4. Branding across platforms – Your branding should be consistent – don’t lose your corporate identity to fit in with the social media crowd. Your traditional marketing has a consistent image. While your Twitter theme should match your corporate image, it should also look like it belongs on Twitter. Don’t try to make it something it’s not. When your social media sites have a similar look and feel to your regular web site, you project a consistent brand that prospects and clients remember.

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