Social media is such an important marketing tool for small business owners. And there are a lot of elements that go into making your social media work for you.
Does your social media show what your business is all about? Does it tell your story and share your message? Is it clean, consistent, and professional looking? Does it attract the right audience? Does it create engagement with your followers?
By asking yourself these questions, you can determine if your social media is doing what it should and if you are representing your brand the right way.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Why you need to brand your social media
- The key to social media branding
- What to start with when branding yours
Why you need to brand your social media
80% of consumers are more likely to buy from the brands they follow and engage with on social media. So needless to say, social media is crucial to building a brand and worthy of time and attention to create a well-branded experience for your audience. But slapping up a profile and calling it a day won’t get you very far. There needs to be thought and intention behind how you use your social media accounts to build your brand, and the first part of that is making sure your accounts are well-branded.
Social media is often the first place that you interact with your audience and where they come back for more. It is so important that your brand is being portrayed through the images and content you are sharing.
But branding your social media accounts is more than just using the same profile image and color scheme. It’s how your content and visuals connect with your brand’s message and foundation. It’s how you present your brand through images, graphics, and content. It’s how you connect with your followers. It’s the overall vibe that you give people when they interact with you on social media.
The key to social media branding
The key to social media branding is consistency. Consistency helps establish your brand and communicates the right message (and same message) in every touchpoint that you have with your audience. Consistent branding across your social media profiles is essential in helping people understand who you are and what your business does.
Being consistent across the board is how followers will begin to recognize and connect with your brand. Just like with your website, your audience should be able to look at your social media as a whole and understand what you do and who you are as a brand. Your social media is essentially an extension of your already established brand. So you want to be sure that you carry your brand throughout all of your messaging.
Another way to keep your social media branding consistent is by sticking to a schedule. If you post around the same time every day people get used to seeing your posts in their feeds. Find the optimal posting times for your audience and try to stay consistent to those times.
How to brand your social media
The first place to start with your social media strategy (and any marketing strategy) is making sure it lines up with your brand strategy. Social media is a huge part of how we grow online businesses, but if it isn’t aligned with your overall brand, then it doesn’t matter how much you post and share, it won’t help you grow your business.
Here’s how to brand your social media:
1. Know your audience on a deep level and speak to them directly.
2. Be consistent in everything (graphics, copy, posting schedule, etc)
3. Use your brand voice and personality
4. Remember your purpose
Essentially, these things line up with what you define in your brand strategy, but social media is how you present that and connect with those people. Think of social media as an extension of your brand and you’ll be golden.
Recap
The best way to brand your social media is to first establish a strong brand and solid brand elements. You have to know your brand style and your writing voice. Once you develop your brand style and aesthetic, your social media will naturally follow those brand guidelines. Keep your images and content consistent with your brand message by always using the same image style and voice in your writing.
The biggest takeaway is to maintain a consistent brand message across all of your social media accounts. Inconsistent messaging can confuse your audience and can keep you from building a strong, recognizable brand.
Next Steps
Now that you have your social media branded, you’ll want to start engaging with your audience. This will help you build genuine relationships with people that actually need your services so that you can serve them more directly and specifically.
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