Social Media engagement in many industries is at an all-time high. Just when we thought we would never see a world more lost in the abyss of Facebook, Instagram, and even new platforms like Tik Tok, enter Covid-19.
Suddenly, social media has become one of the most important, and in many cases the only, way for your business to be seen. When someone stumbles on your business page, they’ll likely make a split-second decision whether they want to follow you or to continue scrolling. In order to ensure that you can draw them in, you need to create and foster an image on social media that is both cohesive and truly in line with the reputation you want to cultivate.
A Recognizable Brand
In order to present yourself on social media as a brand that is cohesive, you must first ensure that your brand is recognizable. A recognized and loved brand is one of the most valuable assets your organization can cultivate.
One of the first steps to showcasing a cohesive brand is solidifying your visual identity. This is done by creating a consistent and specific color palette and through the use of complimentary fonts. Whether you’re creating the graphics or having graphics created (we might know a guy), you should adopt the use of a color palette and a selection of fonts that fit the feel of your brand and carry it through consistently. These should match those used in your logo, your social media, and your website.
A brand that is easily recognizable and memorable helps to separate you from an interruptive and confusing marketplace. Once a visitor has become familiar with your style and story, they should know your content before even seeing your name. People will begin to associate your value with YOU, your BRAND, and your STORY.
The Art of Storytelling
Your story, the story of what makes your organization authentic and unique, is what sets you apart. In order to showcase a brand that is cohesive, you must use your social media to tell YOUR story to YOUR waiting fans.
Showcasing true authenticity is valued now more than ever.
Focus on storytelling, not product features. Without a good brand story, your product holds no inherent or emotional value for your customers. This emotional response is what leaves people wanting more.
A Cohesive Brand
Cohesion across your social media will build instant recognition and trust and credibility for your brand. While your visual brand itself-- your logo, color palette, fonts, and other symbols--should feel cohesive. The theme to everything you post should also feel cohesive. This doesn’t mean that everything must be exactly the same, but it should all work together to get across a consistent message and emotional responses that are the first steps toward building a solid reputation, your brand.
A Consistent Voice
There should be a consistent theme and feel to what you post across your networks along with a consistent voice and message delivery. Sure, you’ll have to tweak a bit based on each platform’s demographics and culture, but a consistent tone will drive brand recognition and interaction.
If you have multiple people posting to your platforms, it’s imperative that you coordinate the overall tone and content of each message, along with the timing of your posts.
Keep It Organized
The layout and arrangement of your posts in relation to one another will ensure that your feed is cohesive and on-brand with your desired look. You can always use third-party planning that allows you to drag and drop posts within your tiled feed to assess the look of your layout before scheduling anything to go live.
While everything feels out of control, it is a great time to work on gaining more control over the image of your business. Now is the time to solidify who you are and the story you are telling. Fostering a social media presence among all of your networks that is cohesive, dependable and steady will only lead to future success.
Your brand should articulate your organization’s unique personality. Your brand is what defines you and is the first step to communicating your story and building a strong reputation.