People have distrusted companies long before the banking scandal of the last few years, but that didn’t help either. This means companies have to work harder than ever to win the confidence of the general public. But I am going to show you how to make that easier for your contracting company and it doesn’t matter if it’s just you or a team of 200.
Here’s how…
When deciding on your company’s online presence, make it personal. The person responsible for the company’s online presence should use their real name, not the company name, but their real, God-given name.
You see, people want to interact with other people, not faceless organizations. Think about it, who would you rather interact with, Bob Jacomoni, the 20 year masonry vet who gives advice and DIY tips to consumers on Twitter and other forums, or Jaco Masonry Company, LLC., who you know nothing about?
Think of social media as a barbecue
When you introduce yourself to new people, you don’t give your company name; you say my name is Bob Jacomoni. You may mention you have a masonry company, but that’s not your leadoff hitter and the same holds true with social media and brand management online. Make it personal first, and then let the business relationship develop. It’s more natural and stands a better chance of succeeding in the long run.
What to do next
If you are just getting started, this should be easy. Make sure all of your online profiles are built around you the person, not the company. If you have a name like Bob Jones you are kind of screwed, but don’t give up. Check out Namechk to see what sites your name is still available and reserve them right away.
If you have been online a while and have adopted a corporate personality, then your job is a bit harder. You should still check out the site mentioned above and reserve both your personal and corporate identities, but think about converting some of your online profiles into personal identities.