As you approach your corporate website development you need to make sure social media integration is a key focus and component as you lay out your strategy. Social media has changed our culture in many ways and will continue to be a driving force in the way we communicate and validate as a culture.
The business climate has followed this pattern and those companies who understand. And implement a corporate website development social media strategy are reaping the rewards. We all know word of mouth advertising is the most powerful form of marketing. Due to the validation of another person recommending a brand, company or product.
Here are a few key social media components to include in your corporate website development:
- Brand congruent. The major social networks have made it easy and effective to customize your presence on their sites with your own brand image. Facebook allows you to integrate iframes into your fan page. Which allows you to literally build a website of any type right on your fan page. YouTube allows you to upload custom back grounds that you can create to be congruent with your brand. Twitter, like YouTube, allows you to upload your own custom branded background to remain congruent.
- Social connection. Your corporate website development should have prominently placed opportunity for people to connect with you in the social network. This can be as simple as social icons in your navigation, in your side bar or in your footer. Additionally, you could create a graphic that has the call to action to join you or follow you in a specific network.
- Facebook like box. This is an application that can be easily installed into your website that will create social proof. The basis behind this application is that it shows the posts on your fan page. As well as shows a collection of other people who “like” you. This social proof inspires others to join you on your fan page.
- Facebook comment stream. This application is a way to increase viral interaction and exposure on your site. As others make comments on your site it actually streams to their wall. And there friends see the comment as well as see the link back to your website.
- Facebook and twitter share. This is a simple button that you can put on your site that allows people to share your site. And the content with their network at the simple click of a button.
Any forward thinking company who is in the process of their corporate website development should take every step to integrate some or all of the key social media applications listed above.