Social media is a trend that doesn’t seem to be slowing down in the branding world—from Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus, and others continuing to emerge. You may not be a social media guru, but for your brand’s sake, social media is worth a second glance.

According to a recent Mashable article, research from a firm called Brightedge found that 93 out of the top 100 brands are on Facebook. Likewise, 77 of the top 100 brands have Google Plus. The list of the top 100 brands came from Millward Brown’s list of Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2011. Among some of the brands on the list are household names like Apple, Google and McDonalds.

And these days, almost everybody and their dogs are using social media. Literally, some people have created social media pages for their household pets. Even grandma is getting in on the social media action. And although not everyone has signed on to social media, there is still a large percentage of the population that utilizes social media everyday.

By creating a page for your company, you have another avenue to advertise your brand, values and mission. Keeping that in mind, what makes branding successful in the social media world?

Determine a Purpose
Before jumping in to create social media pages and post random stuff about your business all over the socialsphere, you need to have a plan. Determine what you intend to achieve with each social media outlet. Maybe Facebook is strictly your company culture and customer service. Twitter could be where you exert your industry expertise. And maybe, just maybe, Facebook doesn’t compliment your branding objectives at all. (Even if you don’t intend to use a social media service, it’s a good idea to claim your pages, as none of us know what the future will hold.)

Consistency is Key
Your brand depends on maintaining your company’s image. Although you don’t have total control over the layout of your social media pages, you do have the opportunity to control what words are being displayed. If your company has a longstanding traditional brand, don’t go too far out and try to be something you’re not. Likewise, if you’re a contemporary company, don’t be afraid to push the envelope with your social media posts. People will be upset if your content does not match the way your business operates. Try to gain as much interaction with your followers as possible, engaging them in your brand.

No Room for Slack
There’s no excuse for being lazy on the job, and there’s no excuse for slacking off on your social media pages. If you jump in, you’ve got to act. You could potentially hinder your brand if you hardly ever post or reply to your followers. Also, remember to try to post on a regular schedule. The more your name pops up on the computer screen, the more your brand is being instilled into the minds of users.