So you have a brand that you know is amazing and you’re ready to show it to the world via social media. Congratulations! But wait, before you attempt to tackle the virtual beast let’s think about this together. When considering social media integration, you can’t just put your brand on any and every site just because “it’s what the cool kids are using”. Instead, you have to figure out which sites are for your brand and how you can make them profitable. If you’re still sitting around thinking that your posts on LiveJournal and views on MySpace are going to get the job done, think again. At your disposal and with your discretion you now have more sites that allow you to engage an audience, connect with industry influencers, and build awareness of your brand.

As the first in the series to get your brand going we have Facebook…

It’s hard to know your consumer and it’s even harder to maintain their attention. However, Facebook and its over 1 billion active users can help you reach out to people across the globe or those in your neighborhood. Outside of your website, creating a Facebook fan page is one of the best ways to connect with people. In 2012, Morrison & Foerster (creators of the Socially Aware Blog) released an infographic (below) showing Facebook users spend an average of 6.75 hours on Facebook a month. Whether a user is commenting on videos or secretly stalking a crush, there is ample time for you to intercept and engage that user. Doing so gives you the opportunity to showcase your brand with a simple ‘like’ of your page. As a result, fans of your brand’s page can follow your updates as they happen and join conversations focused around your brand.

To be successful at using Facebook, you must do more than the average Facebook page. A simple statement or a nice picture won’t cut it. Instead, you must create a dialogue with your audience. Establish two-way communication where you talk with one another, respond to comments, and encourage users to exchange with each other. Additionally, include content such as pictures or videos that give fans more information about your brand that they don’t see every day. If your brand is a clothing line, give your fans exclusive behind the scenes photos and images at events or shows. Want to know how your fans feel about your product? Ask them. Aside from posting a question in a status, Facebook gives you the ability to create your own surveys and questionnaires allowing you to poll for consumer feedback.

Interested in taking this a step further? Go ahead! Contests and give-aways are a great way to get more followers and get them to pay attention to what you have going on. What better way to get consumers to like you, than to give them something for free. Whether it’s your own product or service, if you have the ability to provide your followers with something special (and for gratis) don’t stop yourself.

So there you have it, the social media giant known as Facebook. Check back daily because there will be a brand new post every day with new sites to kick start your brand!