Last month, Twitter announced that it will punish bad behaviour by making tweets from wayward users less visible as part of the company’s strategy to improve the climate of online discourse. Twitter’s move is representative of a broad, inter-industry effort to promote safer digital environments, an effort to which brands and their digital marketing agency can – and should – contribute.

To do so, companies must view social media presence as more than a delivery system for highly-targeted paid digital advertising. Rather, it should see each social property as a platform to share ideas, communicate values, build an identity, and develop a healthy online reputation.

“Since for many consumers, social media is one of the primary means by which they encounter brands and their messages, it follows that social media has an important role in shaping brand reputation,” wrote contributor Mark Traphagen in a column for Marketing Land. “A business’s social media posts are an opportunity to emphasize those things that people find most commendable and relatable about a brand, and also to help to counter any negative perceptions that may exist.”

There are many ways to develop a positive online reputation through social media. As Traphagen points out, brands may choose to emphasize the quality of their products or services, their positive and unique work environment, or their financial success. Or, to follow Twitter’s recent lead, they may choose to tout their optimistic vision for the world and their commitment to social responsibility. In either case, an experienced digital marketing agency can help brands develop, plan, and implement a comprehensive social media strategy.

As a Google Premier Partner digital marketing agency with access to valuable insights on Google’s preferred practices, GrowthEngine Media can help your company develop its reputation on social media and ensure the visibility it needs to compete in a highly competitive, always-online world.

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