Why is the internet the ideal social media positioning medium for Marketers? The primary reasons are freedom and accessibility. It’s these same freedom and accessibility that make the internet almost impossible to conquer as well. It’s crowded. Yet, we are all presented with the equal opportunity to make an impact with our brands, products, and personalities.
“How do I survive in this new digital jungle?”, you may ask. To survive and thrive, you need to keep reinventing your social media positioning. Below are 6 ways to do just that.
1. Have a Unique Selling Proposition
Wish I had a nickel for every time I hear lines like “extensive experience in…”, “the best designer in (name the city)…”, “we are professional who…”. These words don’t mean a thing especially when every other competition on the web is saying same thing or just slight variation of it. You need to determine what really sets you apart from your competitors and say it, right away. You could say you’re the best if you really are, but your competitors can claim the same thing and present evidence to prove it.
The first way to reinvent your social media positioning is to know that one thing only you offer, that one thing that makes you unique, that one thing that gives the customer the reason to go to you instead of your competitor. If you can’t identify that, then neither will your customers.
2. Stop Selling and Start Helping
People get almost everything for free online, one way or another. They frown at everyone who gets in the way of their “free stuff”. The internet, for these people, is a source of freebies. If you start selling without adding value, they will most likely talk about you in a negative way.
It used to be said, “ask and you shall receive”. Today, you have to give to receive. Seek for ways to add value and you’ll quickly be positioned in the mind of your market as a thought leader. Your market trusts you as a result; people buy from those they trust.
3. Put the Focus on the Consumers, Not You
When you talk about yourself or your brand, you are the least important thing. That is another important tip in reinventing your social media positioning. In fact, you’re pretty insignificant. The only thing that matters is the person reading it. It has to be about them, what you can offer them, how you can make them better, and what they will feel when they interact with you.
4. Be Aspirational and Honest
This is where a lot of people and brands fall short. It is important to be aspirational and put people in awe. You need to be that brand they want to possess and personality they want to become. Is it OK to position yourself that way? The fact is, you should position yourself that way. However, make sure you can back up your claims. If you claim to be the best then be the best and show evidence you are the best.
5. Make it a Personal Brand, Not a Corporate Brand
People are more welcoming of personal brands. People are more willing to listen to “actual persons” who reach out via Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and other self-marketing methods, compared to nameless and overly calculated corporate brands.
Big brands are starting to realize this and some of the biggest brands are starting to reposition themselves as personal brands on the Internet. They usually get spokespersons or social media managers that serve as the face of their brand online.
6. Take Advantage of Influence Metrics but Don’t be Obsessed with Them
The rise of social media has lead to the creation of various tools like Kred, Empire Avenue, PeerIndex, Klout, and others that help quantify brands in terms of engagement, influence, expertise, and trust. These tools have certainly gotten smarter over the years, and they are very useful if you want to create a brand via social media.
However, be mindful of the danger figures and metrics could pose by encouraging you into thinking of branding as a game, in which individuals are nothing but numbers, stats, and figures that can be manipulated.
What are your thoughts on reinventing your social media positioning? Leave your comments below.
