Maintaining branding consistency is important for any company to succeed. Whether that is branding through television ads, product packaging, social media platforms, or email newsletters, it is important for all these outlets to provide a consistent message. But why is consistency important?
Odds are, everyone probably knows one person in this world who prefers to buy chicken tenders and fries, no matter what restaurant they go to. It is very easy to judge that person for ordering arguably one of the most basic restaurant items when other adventurous items such as sushi or tacos exist. No matter what restaurant they go to, the expectation for a chicken tender and fries meal is pretty similar. People who only order chicken and fries may be known for being picky, but in reality, these people simply value consistency. They found a menu item that has consistently satisfied them, and that item is a reliable option. When it comes to branding, companies should be more like chicken tenders.
Why Should Brands be Consistent?
Like picky restaurant eaters who prefer chicken tenders at every meal, consumers of a brand value consistency. Consumers value a cohesive brand experience, from viewing advertisements to visiting the brand’s storefront. Providing consumers with a cohesive brand experience establishes a reliable relationship between the consumer and the brand. Consistency in branding ensures that the consumer knows exactly what to expect when it comes to advertising, new products and services, and other aspects of the brand. With the growing popularity of social media in brand marketing, it is vital for companies to make sure their branding on social media is consistent with the messaging in other aspects of their brand. There are several aspects of social media branding that brands need to pay attention to in order to build trust with social media branding.
How to Make Your Social Media Branding Consistent:
- The Basics:
The first thing that social media users will see when they visit a brand’s social media page is the profile picture, bio, and other profile features. When creating a profile for your social media brand, make sure that the profile picture is reflective of who the brand is. The commonly used profile picture for brands is a brand logo. Using a brand logo in the profile picture and using the brand name as the user name is the most simple and effective way to establish what brand the social media account represents. When creating a bio for the social media profile, make sure the words are consistent with what the brand values. This could be a slogan the brand uses, where the brand is based, what the brand provides, or some things the brand values. Once the profile basics are established, the next step is to make sure the social media page matches the visual branding.
2. Visual Branding:
When it comes to social media branding, the visual aspect of the branding is very important. When creating content for the social media page, make sure that the colors used match the brand’s vibe. For example, if a brand is centered around nature, using earthy colors such as browns and dark greens would be on-brand. When creating content, using the same filter, text, and colors on all images makes a page look more cohesive. It also communicates to the consumer what type of personality the brand has. While it may be a fun idea to add new and unique visuals to a social media page, it is more important to provide consumers with a cohesive brand experience instead of creating surprising content.
3. Brand Guidelines:
Creating guidelines for what your brand should entail is important for establishing not just your social media brand, but your brand in general. It is important to establish what message you want your brand to send to the consumers, which visuals to present to the consumer, and what you need to do to make the brand consistent throughout all advertising platforms. Brand guidelines help social media managers decide which content fits inside their guidelines and what does not. Overall, creating a guideline for your brand will ensure a cohesive brand experience for the consumer.
4. Consistent Content:
To have a successful and consistent social media brand, it is important to make sure you are constantly posting on the page. Daily content will keep the consumer engaged with the brand. It can also keep consumers in the know about any changes or new products that the brand releases. Scheduling content in advance using software such as Hootsuite and Sendible is a great way to keep up with content and stay ahead. Posting frequent content that meets brand guidelines and matches the visuals of the brand is key to establishing a consistent social media brand.
To build trust between a consumer and a brand, it is key to stay consistent. Social media branding is a great way to showcase the consistency and reliability of the brand to consumers in a visually appealing way. When trust is established between a consumer and a brand, that consumer is more likely to keep consuming your brand’s products and services. You will become this consumer’s go-to option for whatever their needs may be. For a company to succeed, consistency is key. If you need help creating consistent branding for your social media platforms, feel free to contact us at Marquee by calling 330–234–9396, or by clicking the link here.
