media update’s Jenna Cook takes a look at some of the ways you can constructively change the way your brand is perceived across social media.

Your brand perception on social media can be instrumental to your success. Imagine that the only thing your audience sees of your brand is what you put on your social pages. What would this tell them about you?

Your brand perception is no longer solely focused on the quality of your product or service. Instead, it is dependent on the perceived value that you provide to your audience.

Here are five ways how you can positively change the way your audience thinks of your brand:

1. Zero in on your brand’s values

Your values stand at the very core of your brand. They are what underpins everything from your design to your message to the relationships with both your clients and audience.

A great way to positively establish your brand on social media is through showcasing exactly what values your brand are built on. This is done by communicating your values in each and every one of your posts through visual or written content.

2. Be consistent with your brand messaging

Consistency means communicating your social posts in a way that doesn’t deviate from your brand values, strategy or foundation. This is achieved by ensuring that all your content, including graphics, are ‘on-brand’ or in line with your branded colours, logo and tone.

Being consistent also relies on your timing and delivery of content. Managing this consistency is one of the easiest ways to reinforce a reliable brand image.

3. Show interest in your brand’s followers

Engagement is a great way to build a trusting relationship with your audience and is therefore so crucial. Your followers want to know that you are interested in them.

This means you need to take advantage of the opportunity you have to start – or even join – meaningful conversations, offer useful insights and opinions and share content that resonates with your brand or your followers in order to be relatable to your audience.

4. Brand yourself as transparent

Your audience will be quick to call your brand out on what you’re doing and even quicker on what you’re not doing. Investing in authentically communicating your brand, such as the use of an influencer, is one of the best ways to reposition your image positively.

Being honest about what you’re up to is imperative to establishing an authentic brand image. Show your audience when you succeed, but be equally as quick to own up to when you’ve made a mistake.

5. Be patient – it’s key in social media

It will take time for your audience to grow and become truly engaged with your brand. It will take an equal amount of time for your follower’s perception of your brand to change.

Being patient means staying committed to your social media marketing strategy – the patience and commitment will eventually pay off in brand loyalty and a positive perception of your brand.

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Putting together an effective social media strategy is easy. Want to give your marketing some direction? Find out how in our article, 10 steps to the perfect social media marketing strategy