On Forbes.com, Tamar Weinberg imparts advice on building a brand via social media.
She says: "With money tight these days, businesses need to find new ways to market themselves without spending a lot. Online brand evangelism is one way to advertise your products, and it costs little or nothing."
"Brand evangelism" is a marketing tactic which works by word of mouth, with ardent supporters of services or products feeling so strongly about them that they act as unofficial spokespeople.
Weinberg explains: "By reading the conversations - the blog posts, the forum discussions, the [Twitter] tweets and the other public dialogues - that relate to your brand, you can find out who feels strongly about your company and product, you can assess who might have a neutral stance toward your service, and you can gather information about those who dislike your current offerings."
When you discover who your "brand loyalists" are, you can gather their user names and contact information and offer them benefits such as free products, samples or gifts that will prompt them to continue with their public praise. You can also provide them with inside information about upcoming products or services, etc, where appropriate.
However, Weinberg points out that it is important that the "brand evangelists" are completely transparent about their involvement in the business: "Full disclosure of their representation as it relates to specific perks is important," she says.
You can also reach out to your critics, letting them know you value their opinions. You can try to turn around their view of your company, products or services.
While a potential downside to brand evangelism is that some people might view the practice as questionable and deceptive, Weinberg insists that "only a small minority of individuals have questioned such practices, and you likely will end up seeing returns on your investment despite this small bump".
What's more, says the author, "taking your biggest supporters under your wing may instill such loyalty that they come to your aid in the future when a problem arises".
Brand Building, Tweet By Tweet
Tamar Weinberg, Forbes.com, 17/08/09
