Would you want to be friends with your brand?

Is your brand engaging in interesting conversations? A good listener? An active participant in dialogues, not monologues? Is your brand trustworthy and act in a manner that not only motivates consumers to associate with it, but inspires them to truly want to become influential advocates and contribute to its success?

If not, it’s time to teach your brand some social skills.

Prepare your brand for the social marketing circuit. Be sure it personable, credible, authentic, transparent and a pleasure to be around, to talk with, and to talk about.  Then, let your brand speak for itself, make friends, and interact with consumers in everyday conversations.

Utilize the power of conversation and engagement that social media offers. Create unique and valuable reasons for consumers to build a special connection with your brand and reap the emotional and tangible benefits that inherently come with being in an “equal relationship”:  trust, loyalty, valuable input, a genuine listener, shared fun in the form of conversations, games, interactive activities, and the list goes on and on.

By displaying a friendly approach, a helpful attitude, unquestionable integrity, and a sincere desire to interact and share with others, your brand can play a key role in enabling, inspiring and influencing meaningful interactions – whether its communication between consumers and brands, brand facilitated consumer to consumer conversations, or organic dialogue among consumers.

In return, your brand will enjoy enhanced relevance and value in the eyes of the consumer, resulting in deeper consumer loyalty and advocacy.

Social media marketing provides an exciting new opportunity and relevant touchpoint for brands to show off who they really are. Be friendly, be helpful, be giving, be informative. Don’t be loud and obnoxious. Don’t force yourself on others. Be sure your brand has good manners and is enjoyable to be around.

Do that, and you’ll be sure to be invited back over and over!