A brand is more than a logo or set of colours, and it’s so much more than a cover photo. A brand is how you make your customers feel, and it’s built by taking a consistent approach across every interaction they have with your brand.
As a business owner, you’re already familiar with the general concept of branding. However, you might not be confident about branding in the age of social media. The ubiquity of these platforms greatly influences how businesses establish a brand presence and boost brand awareness.
To ensure consistency in your brand across multiple social media platforms, you must have impeccable and creative social media posts, all of which should be part of a detailed social media strategy. A social media branding strategy allows you to connect with potential customers in an optimized way, increasing your chances of getting noticed and achieving your business goals.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the core elements that you can apply to give your brand the facelift it needs:
Outfitting your profiles with brand-related content in the form of images and links: Your profile picture is a relatively basic piece of your business profiles, but it plays a major role in social media branding. You need to ensure all social media profile pictures are connected to what your brand stands for. In the same vein, you need to bridge the gap between your social media and your website. One of the easiest, most effective ways to accomplish this goal is by providing a URL link in your profiles. By connecting users on social media with your website, you’re further illustrating the reach of your business’s brand. While a homepage link is always a good option, you could also feature landing pages or recent blog posts. This will help strengthen your audience’s experience and ultimately increase the level of conversion for your brand.
Consistency and uniformity of brand elements: Consistency in the style of content and in the frequency of posts help create great online presence. Uniformity of your logo and brand colours across all platforms also makes it easier for users to identify your business in search results. Branding your social media presence properly should be a deliberate task; it should take a reasonable level of effort to implement.
Use the uniqueness of each platform to your advantage: Let’s face it, it is lazy to blindly duplicate the same kind of content across all social media pages. Every platform has its edge. It has its target audience (TA), and it has its purpose. Understand the best strategy for each social media platform you use. While ensuring you are consistent, social media platforms differ in the best approach for maximum reach. Know what works for each platform (e.g., Instagram pictures or LinkedIn polls) and you will effectively engage the TA and increase your overall brand awareness.
While are so many important elements to take your brand to the next level, these points are not exhaustive. Share with us what elements you consider most effective.