Social Media for Mergers and Acquisitions: Building Your Strategy

Going through a merger and acquisition (M&A) is a major, exciting step for any organization. It means your brand is growing and securing its place on the world stage. Whether this is your first merger or you’ve done it before, you already know it’s a big undertaking — you’ll need all the support you can get as you make the transition from two companies into one.

Just as social media is a crucial part of your day-to-day operations, it becomes even more important as you navigate an acquisition. Your social media profiles become the public face of the merger and its success. With that in mind, you must solidify your social media strategy from the beginning and run it as smoothly as possible throughout the process.

As a leader in digital marketing, WebFX has worked with many companies in your position, and we know what to do to help you find success in your online rebranding efforts. We’ll discuss how you can get started, then you can subscribe to our newsletter, Revenue Weekly, to stay up to date on marketing tips that will help your business grow long after your M&A is complete.

1. Put your followers first

The most important feature of social media for businesses is the ability to connect with your followers and potential leads. People appreciate consistency in their newsfeeds, so your goal as you update profiles is to make it as least disruptive as possible. 

A merger brings in new business to the acquiring company. However, this time is when many people may jump ship from the acquired company and try to find an alternative for their services. To mitigate your losses in this situation, your social media team needs to be prepared to provide information that appeases followers’ concerns and answer tough questions conscientious users may raise.

As word gets out about your M&A, you can be sure the acquired’s competitors will swoop in and start their own marketing campaigns to attract lost followers. When you put the interests of your followers first and give them a good experience on your profile, you’re much more likely to retain them as customers and loyal supporters.

2. Consider every profile

As you begin your transition once the M&A is confirmed, updating your profiles is the first step your social media team should take. Carefully review the acquired brand’s pages and determine whether you’ll rebrand them or delete them entirely and migrate any relevant content to your remaining pages.

Whatever your decision, make sure you consider all profile types that could be related to your brands, including:

• Company pages
• Department pages
• Management and executive profiles
• Fan or influencer endorsements

Every social media platform has different guidelines for updating profiles. For example, changing your name on Instagram is simple if you find an available username. However, updating certain information on Facebook requires you to submit a request for review, which takes time to get approval. So, if you want to rebrand everything simultaneously, make sure you plan in advance.

3. Align your branding visions

As soon as your deal is confirmed, you should have your social media teams meet up and coordinate the future of all accounts. An improperly handled social media switch can affect both of your reputations and the ultimate success of your merger and acquisition.

Early on in the process, you should decide on branding guidelines like:

• Catchphrases, mottos, and diction in posts
• Your brand persona
• Company fonts and color schemes
• Logos and profile pictures
• Posting schedules
• Tools and software to create and edit visual content

These decisions will set the stage for your social media posts moving forward, along with the rest of your rebranding efforts.

4. Reevaluate your SEO strategies

Your search engine optimization (SEO) methods may work well so far, but there’s always room for improvement. Your M&A is the ideal time to take a look at what’s working and how you can bring new ideas into your next social media marketing campaign.

While you want to prevent your transition from disrupting your followers too much, now is the time to adjust your brand’s voice and start incorporating new SEO keywords into your content. Followers will expect some changes during your merger, so changes like this can usually be excused. In fact, many people will be excited to see how your company evolves with this new acquisition.

5. Work with influencers

Influencers are often an underutilized resource during mergers and acquisitions. It’s probable that both brands within the merger have partnered with influencers in the past — influencers who aren’t in the midst of rebranding and have the same reach they’ve always had.

As you transition, see if you can partner again with fans who have proven themselves as valuable resources for your company. They can spread word of your new mission as well as you can. Influencers have a unique ability to get people excited about new products and brands and verify them as a trusted resource others can feel confident investing in.

Growing your social presence with WebFX is a walk in the park.

“WebFX allows growing your social media platforms to be stress-free! They are knowledgeable and adapt to your company needs!”

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Let WebFX take the lead during your M&A

During an M&A, your company is going through so many changes that it might be hard to manage them all on your own. At WebFX, we want to see you thrive, especially during this chaotic time. That’s why we offer you our social media and digital marketing services.

When we run a social media marketing campaign, we’ll take your goals and desires to heart. We listen to your ideas on rebranding or reviving and our award-winning team of strategists take it from there, creating a cohesive collection of posts, images, and anything else you need for a successful release.

If you’re trying to combine two incredible social media teams, let WebFX help them get their footing. Or, hand us the reins and let us show you what we can do — there’s a reason we deliver such incredible results. Contact our team online or at 888-601-5359 and we’ll take you through everything we have to offer!

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