Social media is on the mind of every business person. Whether you’re just starting to craft a social media strategy or evolving it further, brand protection needs to be a critical component. Why? Along with the advantages of brand building and customer engagement that social media delivers, come major risks. The ability to identify, and more importantly, take action against brand hijackers, impersonators and others who seek to tarnish your brand are critical in today’s digital ecosystem.
This blog post is the first in a series of posts discussing challenges and best practices associated with brand protection in the social media space. Let’s start at the beginning—establishing your brand in social media channels with brand protection in mind.
Create verified accounts. Be sure to make it official” on those platforms which allow you to do so. For those social media accounts which do not offer verification be sure that your account is branded with your official logo and other identifying information.
Let your website do the work. Make sure your company’s main website lists all the ways your brand is present in social channels including links so that your visitors can determine that your accounts are valid. Giving your fans and followers a way to validate your social media presence provides extra benefits too. You may end up introducing your customers and prospects to other means of engaging with your brand. As your main website is a portal to all of your other branded digital content it serves as an official means to confirm your accounts and thwart imposters.
Make it global. Work with your colleagues in different geographies to make sure the brand protection component of your social media strategy is truly global. The market leaders in one country may not translate—literally!—into social media market leaders in other countries. Treat your social media accounts as you would domains so that all of your customers and fans have access to your content in their own language no matter where they are located.
Today even the most robust social media strategy is incomplete without a brand protection component. In order to make the best of your digital brand protection and social media strategy it’s imperative to thoughtfully integrate them.
Stay tuned for more ways to protect your brand in today’s digital world.”