In today’s digital age, social media has become a crucial aspect of a brand’s overall identity. It allows brands to engage with their customers and build a loyal community around their products or services. However, creating a cohesive brand identity on social media can be a daunting task, especially with the abundance of platforms and ever-changing trends and algorithms.

In order to build a strong brand on social media, your strategy must reflects your brand’s values and personality. Below are some of our tips when getting started.

Define your brand’s voice and tone

Before creating any social media content, it’s important to define your brand’s voice and tone. Are you a playful brand that likes to use humor, or are you more serious and professional? Understanding your brand’s personality will help you create content that resonates with your target audience.

Your brand’s voice and tone will depend hugely on the keywords that you create when building your brand pillars, as well as your mission and values. Combined, these key pillars should give your venture a unique identity on which to build on.

Choose your social platform(s) wisely

Not all social media platforms are created equal. Each platform has its own unique audience and purpose, and it’s important to choose the ones that align with your brand’s goals. For example, Instagram is known for its visual content, making it a great platform for brands that rely heavily on imagery, while LinkedIn is ideal for B2B companies looking to establish professional connections. Facebook, on the other hand, appeals to a wide range of demographics and is a great platform for building a community around your brand. When deciding which platforms to use, it’s important to consider your target audience and which platforms they are most likely to use.

Don’t feel like you have to be on every platform; focus on the ones that will have the biggest impact on your brand and that you can consistently maintain. By choosing your social media platforms wisely, you’ll be able to reach your target audience effectively and build a strong brand identity.

Build your brand style guide

Creating a style guide is an essential step in establishing a cohesive brand identity on social media. Your style guide should outline your brand’s visual identity, including color palettes, fonts, imagery, and overall aesthetic. By creating a set of guidelines that ensure consistency across all platforms, you’ll make it easier for your audience to recognize your brand and establish a strong visual identity.

Your style guide should also include guidelines for how to create social media posts, including the types of content you’ll post, such as product photos, user-generated content, or promotional graphics. It should also include guidelines for creating captions and any hashtags or calls-to-action that are unique to your brand.

A great way to make this task easier is to set up templates. For visuals you can use Illustrator or Photoshop, but our choice and the hands down winner would be Canva. For captions and hashtags you can use any number of online management tools like Hootsuite or Buffer.

By following your style guide, you’ll be able to create social media posts that align with your brand’s overall aesthetic and messaging. This will help establish your brand’s identity and make it easier for your audience to identify your brand on social media (brand recognition). Remember to update your style guide regularly to reflect any changes in your brand’s identity or visual direction.

To build a strong brand on social media, be consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to building a strong brand identity on social media. It’s not just about posting regularly, but also about maintaining a consistent voice, tone, and aesthetic across all platforms. By being consistent with your social media posting, you’ll establish a recognizable brand identity and make it easier for your audience to authentically connect with your brand.

To maintain consistency, create a social media calendar and plan out your posts in advance. This will ensure that you’re posting regularly and that your content aligns with your brand’s overall messaging. Again, tools like Hootsuite, Later, SocialBee and SocialBu make this task easy and efficient. Make sure to also use the same tone and voice in your captions and respond to comments and messages in a timely and consistent manner.

Consistency also applies to your visual identity. Use the same colors, fonts, and imagery across all of your social media platforms to establish a cohesive brand identity. This will help your audience identify your brand and make it easier for them to recognize your posts in their social media feeds.

Engage with your audience

Social media is a two-way conversation, and by responding to comments and messages, asking for feedback, and involving your followers in your brand’s story, you can build a loyal community around your brand – even before your product or service is ready to launch.

To engage with your audience effectively, respond to comments and messages in a timely and authentic manner. Show your followers that you’re listening and that their feedback is valued. Ask questions and encourage discussion to create a dialogue with your audience.

It’s also important to involve your followers in your brand’s story. Use user-generated content, such as photos or videos that your followers have created, to showcase your brand in action. Feature your followers on your social media channels and acknowledge their contributions to your brand.

If done correctly, your followers will feel valued and invested in your brand’s success, which can lead to increased engagement and conversions. Remember, social media is about building relationships, not just presenting to them.

Measure and iterate

Measuring and iterating is a crucial part of building a strong and cohesive brand identity on social media. Social media is constantly evolving and by analyzing metrics, such as engagement, reach, and conversion rates, you can gain insights into what’s working and what’s not. This data can help you optimize your strategy and create more effective content that aligns with your brand’s messaging and identity.

To measure and iterate effectively, use social media analytics tools to track your performance across all platforms. Use this data to identify trends, such as which types of content are performing well, what time of day your audience is most active, and which platforms are driving the most engagement.

Once you’ve identified areas for improvement, iterate and adjust accordingly. Test different types of content, messaging, and posting times to see what resonates with your audience. Don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment with different approaches to find what works best for your brand. Just remember to always stay on-brand.

Next Steps

○ Review this reading
○ Create a brand style guide
○ Repurpose as a social media style guide
○ Create a marketing plan