Brands have since moved their form of communication from the brick and mortal wall to various social media platforms they can operate best. It is important to note that communication forms a vital role in building a strong brand whilst attracting and retaining customers.

1. 3 SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS FOR OPTIMUM BRAND ENGAGEMENT
Brands have since moved their form of communication from the brick and mortal wall to various
social mediaplatformstheycanoperate best.Itisimportanttonote thatcommunicationformsavital
role in building a strong brand whilst attracting and retaining customers.
The role social media has played in this cannot be overemphasized as it has opened myriad of
opportunities tosmall,mediumandbigcompaniestoreachouttonew and prospective customers at
little or no cost. Social media engagement with other users is prime in building a particular brands
community. Social media allows you to directly connect with customers, prospects and brand
representative, it is also an avenue for the brand to reach out to consumers on products and
challenges.Havinganengagedaudience isabig assetthata brandcan have.But doyouknow howto
use social media to grow relationships with your audience and also communicate effectively?
The following are tips to effectively engage and communicate with your audience.
 Determine your voice and tone.
 Be ‘social’ on social media.
 Respond to comments appropriately.
1. Determine your voice and tone.
Different types of brands have their own audience and the manner in which they use in
communicatingdiffersfromoneanother.Itisimportanttodecidehow youwanttocommunicate with
your audience, it is ideal for you to either stay formal or casual in your conversation. Records have

2. shown that brands that have a casual tone tend to be more engaging than brands with a very strict
formal tone. It’syoursto decide whichtogo as the kindof businessyourunina way has its influence
in your decision - notwithstanding that a friendly tone to whatever you decide will help.
2. Be social on social media
The idea of social media is to be “social” on the media platform. A lot of brands have failed in this
aspects as they have neglected the being social and just promote their businesses and trade. Social
mediaplatformsare avenue toreach out, reachout to influencers,engage withcustomersandmeet
newones. Social mediaisabout relationshipsyoubuildandkeep,it’snotonlythose relatedto your
business that you interact with, leave your comfort zone, reach out and broaden your horizon.
3. Respond to comments/feedback appropriately.
The space in social media is so wide that there is an opportunity for everyone to comment about a
product or service.
Although,itmaybe pleasingtorespondtopositive feedbackalone andneglectnegative ones,don’t.
Insteadrespondto positive feedbacks,thankyourcommunityandinvite themto share more stories
about your product or service.
Whenyou receive anegative feedback,itismost likelybecause someoneiscomplaining.Take it as a
constructive criticismandrespondin time.Commentstooshould respondedto appropriatelyto avoid
crisis.A recentexample isthe backand forththat ensuedbetweencustomersand apopularNigerian
companythat sellselectronicaccessoriesonline.A customerdrew theirattentionto the difference in
price on theirwebsite andwhatwastweetedatthattime.The accessorycompany inturn backlashes
her and in return got loads of negative comments from other people that in turn will affect the
company’s brands, as they did not display a high level of customer relationship and appreciation.