The most successful social media brands use social platforms to build relationships and communities with their customers and audience. They have identified who their target audience is, where they are spending their time online, and the best way to reach them. They have a consistent voice, consistent branding and consistent messaging. If your business is a chain or franchise, create separate social media accounts from the corporate brand. This is crucial in your customer’s understanding of who you really are, not what they think of as just another national brand. Unschedule any corporate posts that don't directly speak to your audience. An Ace Hardware store in Bozeman, Montana, will have a different audience from an ACE Hardware store in Miami, Florida and even different than a store in Billings, Montana. Remember that successful social media is all about having a genuine voice. Use photos from within your store only. Your audience wants to recognize the aisles and shelves and most importantly those smiles! Just like a successful newspaper article, your images have to be relatable, they have to evoke emotion, and they have to tell an interesting story. Highlight events that are unique to your store and your community. People go on social media to learn about what’s going on in their community and more importantly they go on there to FEEL A PART of a community. By sharing what you do and how you give back, you are aligning with your audience on an intimate level. This creates an online presence that they want to join and follow!