Branding, for (not much) fun and (a great deal of) profit
Recently, a client of mine, in the midst of creating a very big project, indicated that he was ready to reach out to a very big brand, hoping to get them, eventually, interested in the idea of sponsoring his project. My advice to him, and to you, playing along at home: become a fan of the brand-in-question’s various Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. accounts, to see how your [fill-in-the-blank] can add to and benefit said brand’s online conversation. If that makes you want to vomit, I know, but really: you want to play with their toys, you need to follow their rules.
I’m not telling you this to discourage you, but to get you thinking efficiently: you need the company, they don’t need you, so you have to study their online presentation to consider how you can make your way inside.
Become a fan of, for example, the Facebook page(s) of the company you’re stalking interested in, to understand what they’re talking about, and why. How can you, intelligently, and meaningfully, contribute to the conversation? “Contribute” of course means NOT posting obscene comments, or “helpfully” letting them know that they suck, or why they should immediately check out your website, pages, or “hey i need a job, can u help?” (No.)
“Contribute” does mean thinking about what hashtags the company uses and why. What are their posts about? What type of language do they employ? At the most basic level: is this company speaking your language, would they have a chance of appreciating what it is you’re doing?Is what you’re doing relevant to their audience?
But let’s take a step back even further: why are you interested in collaborating with them? How can your products/services benefit them…and why? What type of help do you need? Why did you think of this company? Do you have a relationship with this company, even “just” as a customer?
Take the time to write out, in as much detail as possible, the answers to these important questions, so you can start crafting a social media presence that is responsive to your goals. Before you initiate any kind of contact, of course I’m going to assume that your own social media footprint is cleaned up and locked down…yes? Humor me, and say, “Yes, Carlota, of course.”
If you’re interested in working with other brands, big or small, that’s fine, more power to you and your goals, but be patient, intelligent and give yourself the time to construct a useful online profile that reflects your goals, while adding to the conversation. It won’t happen overnight, but it can happen, if you allow it.
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