How to brand your business using social media

When you want to establish your business brand it doesn’t have to be expensive, it just needs to be done right. Your initial funding may not include allocation for branding, but fortunately, there are some inexpensive ways to capture the market and stand out in strong competition.

Starting a business involves raising substantial capital and your branding cost is rarely thought of as a part of the startup funding. Some new entrepreneurs think that they should first focus on growing the business before engaging in branding efforts. They often delay branding until a later stage. This is a serious mistake. Marketing and branding should always progress from the start-up stage onwards. Here are some ideas to add to your new business bucket list.

People Come First

Put your customer first – people always remember the attentive staff who sorted out their concern with a smile on their face. Make sure your staff are fully trained. So, as a new brand, it’s certainly to your advantage to have your clientele talk about the awesome customer service they received; and if they mention you on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, its a bonus!

Free Resources

With an abundance of tools available online, you can be off to a good start to kick off your new business. First, launch your company website on a free blog platform and then, to create a brand presence, utilise a host of social media options like Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Linkedin. Remember, your number one priority is to keep your page updated with new content.

Working Together

Start with attending events or join entrepreneurial groups and see how you can work together with your peers.You may meet a fellow start-up that is not a competitor and is also looking to expand their audience. As I say in my M.I.N.D.E.R. vision statement - by collaborating or working together, you may be able to work on projects that offer a Win/Win for both of you.

Attracting More Followers

You can also maximise social media to build your brand image by organising online activities like contests. Get your audience to send in your brand related photo or video on Facebook or Twitter, or run a voting competition for the win. This will encourage your followers to share the link of your contest with family and friends, consequently generating brand awareness.

See more articles on branding your business and using social media at The Business Minder website Creative section. The Business Minder provides business management help across Asia with clients in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.