Some recent client work has inspired me to share this "tip of the day".
I'm working with a client whose business does not really require social media (or at least that's the way they saw it).
They've established a brand, got a nice, functional website that is ranking well, and all is smelling of roses.
However, if you Google '[client's name] + Facebook', someone else has set up a Facebook page under their name that has 1 star reviews, portrays them in a bad light, and generally looks very unprofessional.
In fact, this fake Facebook page even shows up in the Google results when you search the client's brand name.
For the want of maybe an hour or two's worth of work to secure their Facebook page, complete it, and schedule some content for the next few months, they have missed out.
I have seen this happen with other businesses in the past, as well as on many different platforms.
You only get one opportunity to make a good first impression, and if someone stumbles across a fake social media profile, this could have a negative effect.
Furthermore, many people search for social media profiles for businesses to verify their legitimacy and activity.
Therefore, my advice is that you should take steps (if you haven't already done so) to secure your brand across social media AND other platforms where people can easily create and publish content.
At minimum, you should have a completed, professional and active
* Facebook page
* Twitter profile
* LinkedIn company page (unless you trade under a personal name, in which case personal profile is fine)
I'd also recommend staking your claim on other social networks, such as:
* YouTube - I'll class this as a social network for argument's sake
Getting set up shouldn't take you long. I'm not saying you have to dedicate hours and hours to social media if you don't want to. Simply that you should protect your brand at all costs.
Long story short, even if you don't see much potential for social media with your business (maybe you're in a B2B industry like manufacturing) you should still actively take steps to ensure that you have secured your brand on all major social media platforms.
Comment below or send me a message if you need help.
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