Social Media Branding Tactics: Think you're in control of your brand? Think again.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: TELECOM & TECH

Today, most companies know it's important to have some sort of online and social media presence to remain competitive. But implementing an effective strategy in these areas can be challenging and sometimes downright intimidating for businesses. The landscape is constantly changing in the digital world, making it difficult for even the most technology-oriented companies to keep up with the latest online platforms. But businesses can use simple tactics plus enlist the help of industry experts to enhance their web, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media strategies. Either way, they should take a holistic approach to their social media strategies to ensure they are targeting the right audience in the right location and with the right message.

Web Design Strategies

A website is still the most important digital property a business can have, says Julie Hirt, director of account management at Spawn Ideas, an Anchorage-based advertising agency. "A website is the hub of the digital ecosystem," she says. "Anything else you do on the web drives [people] to the website."

A company's online and social media strategy can be as simple as having a one-page website and one social media platform. The simpler the strategy, the better because it will take less time and money to maintain it.

When it comes to the design of a corporate website, user experience is a major consideration, Hirt says. The design should ensure that the content is organized so people can find what they need, how they need it, and when they need it. "It's also about your brand, which is not just a logo or tagline," she says. "It's the experience. For example, if I come to your site and it doesn't work well, it's hard to find information, and it loads slowly, I will have a bad feeling about your company."

In addition to having a user-friendly design, it's important for a website to be transactional in nature. It should enable people to do something like register for an event, request information, or place an order. It's also imperative to keep in mind who will be reading the web content. "If your audience is younger, make sure your messaging reflects that," Hirt says. "If they are older, be cognizant of how they are trying to access that information."

Although most businesses have a website, a surprising number of them don't have a mobile-responsive site, according to Jennifer Christensen, co-founder of Beacon Media + Marketing. Responsive sites are designed to properly display content on a variety of devices and screen sizes, which is important since smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices generate most online traffic. "As a business owner, I have a lot of empathy for business owners because sometimes you get so busy and you don't notice until the phone stops ringing," Christensen says. "And then you tend to call for help. You need someone you can trust to make sure your online presence and social media are updated."

A company's online presence is constantly changing and should be checked on at least weekly, Christensen says. This can easily be done by setting up a Google Alert to see if anyone has mentioned the business in a review, blog post, or news article. When creating an online presence, it's better to start slowly and build momentum than to try to do everything at once. "If you start an online presence and stop it...