Establishing a presence in the social media space isn’t quick, and it’s certainly not something that you do once and then allow to run on its own. Just like any relationship, you need to put in the time and effort to listen, respond and offer something of interest on a regular basis. Monitoring online conversations, responding when necessary and generating a steady stream of content to keep people interested generally requires dedicated effort on a daily, if not hourly, basis. And once you start, you’re committed: if you stop communicating regularly then the relationship fades.

This sounds like a lot of work, and to be honest, it is. But if the alternative is that your brand isn’t present where millions of people are spending their time, or if you’re present but largely silent, then doing what it takes to for you brand to live - and prosper - in the social sphere is well worth it. It’s where the people are, and to be noticed you need to visible and active. So commit part of your brand team to maintaining a social presence. Hire people dedicated to social media or enlist the help of an agency that knows what it’s doing in the social space. Your brand will thank you, even if you need to spend some extra time to get results.