I have seen some really interesting things happen to brands lately with the shift to social media. Even if you are not using social media to promote your brand, proactively handle customer service or monitor industry trends, your customers are! Never in history have we had the opportunity to communicate with our customers as we do now through social media. There are opportunities to go big or to fail big time.

Here are a few tips to help you manage your online brand through social media.

• Have employees set up online user names to write company blog posts, visit online forums and blogs that talk about your product or service and leave comments or start conversations about your brand.
• Do not lie. When something is posted online, it is forever. It can not be deleted or recanted. Lying about your product or service will be remembered for a long time and may start a flame war that may damage your business.
• Saying you have good customer service IS NOT a replacement for good customer service. Listen to what people are saying and deal with it honestly and respectfully, no matter what the situation is.
• Watch what your employees say online. Their reputation affects yours. Have employees set up a separate online identity that supports the brand and use it at all times when representing the brand.
• Having no competition doesn’t mean you can be sloppy or lazy. Just because you are the only one who does what you do today doesn’t mean that’s the way it will be tomorrow. Stay on top of the game or lose your footing forever.

Always use your brand.

Always add your logo and corporate colors to your email marketing even if you are of looking at them. With each eNewsletter you send out, there is a good chance that somebody is looking at it for the first time.

Personalize your message.

Let your audience know at a glance your email is authentic. Use first names to establish familiarity and start a conversation.

Use catchy headlines.

Your headline is what will catch attention. Use it wisely. Here are some tips on writing headlines.

Keep it conversational.

Write like you are having a conversation with one person. The more authentic you sound, the more interesting your article will be even if your grammar stinks.

Add the articles to your website.

Make your information easy to find. Include a Newsletter Archives section on your website and link to it from your eNewsletters.