A Rose by Any Other Name…..

Choosing the right Social Media name is a hot topic I come across very often when advising a business owner or members of staff on how to take their first dive into the Social Media jungle. The times that a client has asked me for help with their Social Media, when they have already created a profile, instead of BEFORE they set it up. Why is that important you may ask? Well here are 6 very good reasons why

1. It’s MY Business: If your business is called B.G. Jones Ltd, should you be BGJones on Social Media? Well, if you only want people who know you, to be able to contact you; then that’s fine, but, if you are using Social Media to attract new customers, then it’s not a great idea. BGJones doesn’t tell people that you are an Accountant and it could even give people an impression of a completely different occupation, which could be disastrous. Some may think it sounds like a Solicitor, or a Building Contractor, clearly this isn’t good for your business.

2. Make it easy for people to know what you do: WeMakeBoxes: This is a Twitter name of a business that is perfect. It appears at the top of every Tweet, and anyone scrolling down their Twitter feed on a commuter train with nothing else to do will always know exactly what they do. It’s easy, it’s fast and it works.  Does it matter if the owner is called Charley Farley or not?  No it doesn’t; not to prospective customers anyway, they don’t care what your name is if they need some boxes quickly.

3. Keep the same name on everything: Another instant disaster is to have your business name different to your email address, different to your Twitter name, Facebook name and Google+ name. How on earth will anyone be able to find you with the right name on the right platform? You would be amazed just how many people do this. Make it easy for people to find you – not harder!

4. Dots & Dashes: Another ‘Sales Prevention’ technique, is to use punctuation in your addresses, as some addresses are given over the phone by ear, rather than by written word and you would be surprised at the different things people can call the same symbol. Is it a slash? A dash? A forward slash? (this depends on whether you are left handed) Back slash? (That sounds most undesirable!) An underscore? a dot? A space? It’s just too risky. Try and stay away from them if you can. It’s not always possible if you have a popular business name, but just think who will get the business enquiry if they use a slash instead of a dash? Definitely not you! So don’t help your competitors get business from your advertising.

5. Use your USP: If you are a business like an Estate Agent or a Solicitor in a big City, use your USP as a benefit or outcome that you provide to your clients and use that as your Social Media name. Here are some examples for you to get the idea: ‘HeartHealth’  ‘WoolySox’, ‘WeddingPics’, ‘FastCars’, ‘NewHouses’, ‘BestWebsites’, PainFreeAccounts, ‘BigBoxes’, LeicsHotel, FriendlySolicitor, (use your imagination here) EasyMortgages … you get the idea. And what a great way to attract new clients to your proper website, via a Landing Page called: EasyMortgages, straight to your main website. Speak to Karl about that, he is expert at all that!

6. Branding: Make sure that all your Social Media Channels look similar, or have the same colours, Logo, Tag Line and Contact details. Clients feel safe and happy if they are familiar with your blue and yellow stripes website; if they find the same blue and yellow stripe on your Twitter page, Facebook Page, etc. Even if it is only one corner, it tells them that they are safe. Look at the big brands like McDonalds. They shove a big yellow M up on a 50 foot pole for people to home in on. Nothing else is necessary.

I hope this has helped you to begin your navigation through the ocean of Communication possibilities, but if you are already half way across, it’s not too late to change………

Thanks to Tina Gayle of Whizzy Words for this very useful article.
Tina is a Freelance Writer of copy, content and Social Media and can be found on: www.whizzywords.com  Email: rushjob@whizzywords.com