Since President Obama has taken office, things have been pretty steady and busy with policies, changes, developments, etc. Suffice it to say, that a dull moment there hasn’t been! But while there is a lot to do in the office of the most important job in the free world, President Obama has been making lots of strides to make sure that his “brand” is melded into the minds of the citizens and the voting population. He wants to make sure that you remember him. And as a corporate entity, you should want and aspire towards the same branding for your business.
President Obama effectively uses the tools of social networking very well and has shown that he is able to manipulate them with ease. Of course, it takes a team of specialists and experts to position him to be this effective, but it is done nonetheless. His weekly radio addresses on YouTube are one of “firsts” that the president has used in his office as a means of mass communications to reach the people. He uses the weekly addresses to bring the citizens up to speed on where things stand with the economy and what the next step(s) is.
He also effectively uses email campaigns to reach the taxpayers, briefing them on where the state of the economy is, what’s next on his agenda, what key areas he wants to focus on next, etc. It is almost as if he wants to make sure to address everything that could possibly be on the taxpayer’s mind. Possible? Hardly, but the effort is made nonetheless.
Social networking, marketing and branding. All three effectively implemented by the president. So can you do the same? Yes you can!
Branding your company, product, or image is not difficult to do at all. Start with social networking and begin building your “image” into the minds of your customers. Be “in their face” at every available opportunity. Compile your mailing lists. Ask questions. Answer questions. Become the expert and the “go-to” person. Brand yourself by becoming something and/or someone that people will search out for the answers.
What can you do to start branding your corporate image? Make a deliberate and calculated use of whatever social platform that you wish to affect. In other words, don’t just start a Facebook page or a Twitter page just for the sake of it or because “everybody’s doing it.” Develop a plan and a desired outcome for your goals. Obama’s campaign certainly didn’t start last year or two years ago building a network of supporters. It all started with a deliberate use and a reason for a Twitter presence. His exact use of media platforms is one of the key components that catapulted him to political stardom. His staff was able to deftly use the social media networking sites to create the Obama brand. It strengthened his network, increased his following and furthered his political platform. You can do the same with and for your corporate brand.
How can you effectively use online tools for your organization in particular? What platforms do you feel would benefit your corporate entity the most?