It can be tempting to approach your business's social media channel like you do your personal accounts. Sporadically post pictures, videos and updates. But if you want to have a successful social media marketing campaign, it takes some planning and strategizing. One of the best things you can do? Branding! Keep reading for some tips to help you out as you get started.
Audience
When you start planning your social media strategy and branding, you’ll first want to think about your audience. Luckily, your audience is almost guaranteed to be on social media. Did you know that 82% of the U.S. population has some kind of social media account? The trick is finding out which platform they are on and making sure that your message is tailored to them!
Choosing Platforms
One of our biggest tips for social media is to only use the platforms where you can commit to consistently posting. There’s no point in being on 7 different platforms if you only have the bandwidth to post once a month. It’s much better to be on one or two platforms posting regularly.
So, which platforms do you decide on? You want to go where your audience is! If you’re talking to professionals, then LinkedIn is where you want to be. If you’re talking to millennials, then Instagram is the platform for you. Do some research and see which platform is best for your audience.
Content Strategy
Now that you know where you’re posting, you might be wondering what to post! No matter what you write, keep in mind that you’re talking to your audience, not at them. Make sure your content is engaging and relevant to your followers. Also, make sure every post is intentional. Don’t post for the sake of being “consistent” or “present.” This is when planning comes in handy! By creating a content strategy ahead of time, you’ll never have to scramble to find something to post at the last minute.
Styling
This one sounds easy — make sure your social media page looks good! If someone is researching your business, this is when branding can go a long way to help your social media presence. A polished, branded social media presence gives your business credibility and trustworthiness.
Here are some easy ways to get there:
- Size all of your photos correctly (profile photos, cover photos, post photos, link preview photos, etc.)
- Match your overall branding. Feel free to have some fun with your social presence, but don’t get too far away from traditional colors, styles, fonts, etc.
- Use high-quality images. No one likes blurry photos or stock images. To a lot of followers, these are also big red flags that your business isn’t credible or dependable.
Voice
Part of your branding is the voice you use to talk to your audience. You want to make sure your content is targeted at your specific audience. If it’s too general or too specific, you run the risk of missing out on an important section of your potential customers.
You’ll also want to think about things like tone. If your business is buttoned-up and professional, then a laid-back and fun social media voice may not be the direction you want to go. Just make sure what you’re writing reflects what you want your audience to know about your business.
We Can Help Brand Your Social Media
If you’re looking for help branding your social media platforms, let’s connect! We love a good challenge and we’d be more than happy to help you refine your social media presence to meet your goals.
