What social media can (and can’t) do to grow your brand

By Danielle Mellema, Digital Content Manager & Chief Ghostwriter

Social media is an essential component of any digital marketing strategy, but it’s not a silver bullet. Some businesses expect social media to solve all their problems, imagining that if they could just “crack the code,” they could enhance their visibility, grow their clientele, increase their revenue, all with minimum time and effort.

Social media can do many things, but it can’t do all of that—not on its own, anyway. Often, when social media engagement is lackluster, there are larger issues at play that are preventing social media from helping grow a company’s brand.

Do you need to right-size your expectations of what social media can accomplish for your brand?

Social media CAN’T hide the fact that you don't have a clear brand identity or values.

It CAN help you find your brand’s unique voice.

The best way to let your target audience know that your business has no real sense of what it is about or who it is trying to speak to is to post on social media before taking the time to figure that out. Clear brand values and a narrow list of key messages are essential to anchor your digital presence.

However, you don’t have to have every single element of your brand’s identity figured out in order to engage. Who you are as a brand will continue to evolve as you grow, and social media is a great way to help you get a feel for your brand’s voice and the best way to express it. Try different types of posts and engagement features within each platform to see which ones help you communicate your messages in a way that fits and resonate with your audience. Starting with a strong, already-established brand identity will guide you as you figure out how you want to show up in the digital space. 

Social media CAN’T serve as your one-and-only, be-all-end-all marketing tool.

It CAN support your larger branding strategy.

Social media engagement is not a marketing strategy; it is a marketing tool and a medium of communication. Social media works best when it is part of a branding strategy that is rooted in a well-defined brand identity that is communicating clear messages to a specific audience. It should not be used haphazardly simply to not raise any eyebrows when a potential customer notices that you’re not on social media, or as the one hope to reach your business goals. Give your social media accounts some room to breathe by making it just one touchpoint of many with your target audience.

If you need some help to create a branding strategy that will guide your social media engagement, or to strategize some ways to diversify your marketing tools, we can help!

Social media CAN’T replace the brand equity that comes from consistent quality services or products.

It CAN tell the story of your brand’s unique superpower.

Polished social media graphics or high-frequency posting may be able to hide sub-par services or products for a time, but not forever. In the end, your brand’s reputation is built on what you are able to uniquely offer to your audience.

Can you deliver on the claims your brand is making? Make sure you’re striving toward consistency and quality in what you are offering to customers or clients. When you do, social media will be one of your best avenues to share your story, talk about what makes your brand unique, and give customers and followers a place to enthusiastically do the same.

Need some clarity on what your brand superpower is? Our quiz can get you started!