How to Create a Strong Social Branding Presence

This article was originally published on IIEPD.com.

Approximately 1 in 3 Internet users say they go to social networks when looking for more information about a brand or product, according to GlobalWebIndex’s 2019 social media trends report. For this reason, it’s important you ensure your social media presence establishes credibility and allows followers to clearly see the value you have to offer.

Social media is also the place where consumers share their opinions about brands and interact with them. Research shows that 80% of consumers are more likely to evaluate solutions from brands they follow on a social network.

All this makes social media an excellent starting point for many businesses to reach their target audience and engage with them.

So, how you do you establish a strong brand on social media? Read on to find out.

How to Create a Strong Brand Presence Through Social Media

Now that you know social media is THE PLACE to interact with customers and develop your brand presence, how do you stand out? With so many social networks available and heavy competition on all of them, knowing where to start and how to differentiate yourself from the noise can be tricky.

If you’re struggling to effectively represent your brand on social media, the 5 steps below will help you get started.

1. Choose and Use Your Social networks wisely

Although it may be tempting to open a company account on every social network available, you will soon discover that this is not a very strategic approach. Not only is it unrealistic to manage every platform, it’s also unlikely your target audience will be engaging with every social network under.

For example, if you’re a transport agency looking to recruit HGV Drivers, LinkedIn may not be the best platform to reach your target audience. A better option would be Facebook, as most of your target audience will be engaging with local job groups and industry forums.

Not all social media networks are created equally, and each channel has its own audience which will use social media for different reasons. It’s important to understand these reasons in order to deliver content in a way that will effectively engage your audience on each platform. According to Buffer, the best content for the top social networks are:

• Facebook: Videos and curated content
• Instagram: High-resolution photos, quotes, Stories
• Twitter: News, blog posts, and GIFs
• LinkedIn: Company news, and professional content
• Pinterest: Infographics and step-by-step photo guides

Make sure you continuously analyse and measure your performance on each of your chosen social networks. This will enable you to identify what works for your brand and areas you need to improve on.

2. Use Visuals and Be Consistent in Your Brand’s Tone and Image

Visuals play an important role in social media marketing. If your Facebook account looks drastically different from your Twitter account, how will users be able to recognise and connect with your brand?

One brand which maintains consistency throughout each of their social profiles is Headspace, the meditation app. With their bright colour palette, inspirational quotes and charming illustrated characters displayed on every profile, Headspace delivers a cohesive experience to their followers.

With this in mind, here are some factors to consider when ensuring visual consistency across your own social media profiles:

• Color palette: Headspace uses its orange colour scheme across all social media networks. Use your logo colours to create a consistent colour palette. You ideally want to reach a point where people associate colours with those colours with your brand.
• Logo as your avatar: When using an avatar on social media use your logo or a symbol from your logo across all social media channels. Create a logo using the specs for each platform, so it is never skewed awkwardly to fit in the space allotted.
• Templates: Save time and face by using templates for graphics used on social media. You will then have consistency across all aspects of your designs for colours, fonts and the way you use your logo and symbols.

Source: Headspace’s Instagram Account

Your company bio information should also be consistent across all social media platforms. Establish a catch phrase that users can associate with your brand, and stick with it. In social media platforms that allow for more extensive profile information, expand on your brand’s values and what you have to offer.

3. Continuously engage with your followers

If the only time you post on social media is to share content and plug products, you are not really engaging with your followers. You need to develop awareness of your brand on social media by engaging and interacting with other users. It’s as simple as replying to Tweets and commenting on Facebook and Instagram posts.

Unsurprisingly, one brand that effectively engages with their audience is Twitter. The social network posts once or twice a day and replies to the first few comments on their tweets. They even respond to tweets when they are mentioned without an @. This shows users the brand is responsive and always listening.

Image Source: Twitter

4. Be transparent and keep it real

Transparency is the foundation of any long-lasting relationship, so in the same way, giving customers a glimpse behind the scenes of a brand can help you establish a meaningful relationship with them.

One brand which is notable for their open and honest approach on social media is Domino’s Pizza. Their reputation for transparency can be traced back to 2009 when Domino’s launched the ‘Pizza Turnaround’ campaign to win back customers who were unhappy with the quality of the pizza on offer.

Through the brand’s ongoing commitment to honestly engaging with customers on social media, Domino’s sales overtook Pizza Hut in 2017. Today, Domino’s domination of the pizza market shows no signs of slowing down.

Domino’s openness is clear to see on Instagram, where staff members’ own less-than-perfect photos of the brand’s pizza take precedence over staged shots from company HQ.

Image Source: Dominos’ Instagram Account

5. Extend your social reach by partnering with influencers

As a growing business, awareness of your brand on social media will be limited, and you will likely be aiming to target a wider audience. A great way to give your social media branding efforts an extra boost is to partner with influencers. Influencer marketing enables you to interact with an existing community of engaged followers on social media.

Since influencers have already earned the trust and respect of their followers, getting an endorsement or mention from them will encourage their audience to buy into your brand’s values, products or services.

When Tiffany & Co. partnered with Jack Morris, an Instagram travel influencer who has 2.7 million followers on Instagram, the campaign focused on Morris’s appreciation for luxury goods and experiences, along with his concerns about sustainability.

Image Source: Jack Morris’s Instagram Account

The campaign was effective because Jack’s values reflected those that Tiffany & Co. wanted to promote. He gave Tiffany & Co. instant credibility and increased brand awareness among their target market — millennials. Tiffany & Co.’s engagement rate subsequently grew by over 8% on Instagram.

If you build your social media brand, customers will come

Social media marketing is an incredible way to build your brand and customer base. Millions of users from your target audience flock to social media every day. These people do more than just socialise – they eagerly discover new brands and shout about them to their followers. As you continue to build your social media brand presence by following the steps above, you will not only increase awareness of the value you have to offer, but users and customers will also come back to you for more of the good stuff.