We all know the importance of a company’s brand identity. Tens of thousands to millions of dollars are spent by companies to develop a brand name, design the brand logo, comes up with a compelling brand tagline, and produce unique product designs and packaging. Brand managers at companies devote countless hours to the production of branded marketing collateral from print materials for tradeshow events to developing and executing a variety of annual broadcast and print campaigns. There are numerous corporate branding projects to keep your marketing department busy year round. Social media branding works in much the same way except that your social media streams need to be fed continually with content from the brand.

Social media branding is a powerful process in which your brand personality, brand values and brand messaging are continually being promoted through brand storytelling on your social media business pages. Has your company realized the importance of social media branding?

Social Media Branding and Repeated Exposures to a Brand

What is the true impact of a brand’s consistent social media posting year after year? In the world of social psychology, there is a principle known as the mere-exposure effect. This psychological phenomenon states that people will develop a preference for something merely by repeated exposures to it. What does the mere-exposure effect have to do with social media branding? Absolutely everything. By brands continually exposing their targeted consumers on social media with their brand and line of products, the more they will develop a preference for the brand. Once a brand the mere-exposure effect on social media, the consistency of their social media streams takes on an entirely new level of importance.

Social Media Branding and Top-of-Mind Awareness

Being exposed to a particular brand in our social media streams repeatedly over time builds a sense of brand credibility which leads to trust of that brand. The right social media branding strategy will hopefully lead to positive brand perceptions and top of mind awareness at the right time. In the end, all we want is for your customers to be more likely than your competitors to be the ultimate selection in their consideration set.

The Unique Opportunity with Social Media Branding

If a brand actually shows their customers they respect their time and intelligence with quality brand storytelling and brand to consumer interactions, their customers will likely remember and reward them with their wallets, social shares and their brand advocacy. Social media branding provides a unique opportunity for brands to understand their customers on a much deeper, emotional level than could be achieved with most traditional marketing efforts. This branding process of allowing this relationship to be nurtured over time will build credibility, which leads to trust, and ultimately, will drive brand loyalty.