One of my mantras in business is to Let it Shine. Simply put, to shine is to be yourself. It’s to celebrate those unique and localized traits that make you stand out from the competition. What preexisting aspects of your business make you....you? And how do you tell that story?

As a business we see collision repair from one perspective but our customers and clients see us totally differently. Perspective is KEY when developing your social brand presence and honing in on those unique touch points that make you SHINE!

Much like a Rubik’s cube that from one perspective looks like a solid blue object but from another looks like a multi-colored, multi-layered puzzle, it is vital that you recognize varying perspectives and provide a variety of content on multiple platforms to meet your customers where they are.

This is why our company believes so strongly in the “do it yourself ” model of social engagement and development. No one knows your story or your customers like you do so how can they be expected to take on that puzzle of perspectives and meet those needs?So how do we support and learn more about varying perspectives? Here are some tips for making sure you’re seeing and supporting all sides of the puzzle.

As you think about your monthly social strategy:

1) Think outside the box. When we think about content development we tend to focus on what we want to know about a topic as opposed to what our audience might, so start thinking about that other side of the cube.

2) Design your content to be both consumer AND partner driven. Leverage your social presence for more than just B2C goals in order to incorporate your business partners and community leaders.

3) Diversify your placement. Differing social media platforms offer new audiences who want to engage in new ways. For example: People connecting with your team on LinkedIn are looking for different content and opportunities than those seeing your videos on YouTube.  

4) Use new media. Some people connect through text and others through pictures or videos. By providing more than just one type of content you engage a wider and more diverse audience.

5) Listen to the conversation. Social media allows us to be a fly on the wall and generally our users will engage with us and give feedback on the information that speaks to them. Pay attention to your social metrics (using each platform’s administrative resources) and shift your content accordingly.

6) Bring it home. Social media strategies are only effective when paired with in-person engagement opportunities so make sure to host both consumer and business-specific events at your shop to get people through your doors when the DON’T need you. That way they’ll know how to find you when they do!

Overall, being yourself doesn’t mean doing nothing. In order to shine you have to find new ways and new places to tell your unique story so that customers engage more deeply and advocate for YOUR business.