(2 min. read)
Keeping company branding consistent across a wide range of media has always been challenging. With
the social media explosion in recent years, keeping your brand consistent across multiple online
platforms only increases that challenge.
Connecting with an online audience gives your brand a broader reach and can make it a more personal
interaction. Therefore, it is even more important to maintain the same look, feel and tone on every
platform. Here are five simple steps to keep you, and your brand, on point and maintain consistency.
Business Profile
Why do you need a consistent business profile on different platforms? Because there are 3.48 billion
people actively using social media (www.statista.com). When you set up your business profile on more
than one platform, if the details are identical, more people will recognize your brand. Key profile
elements include the business name, location, website, services offered, email, phone, etc. Also,
maintain consistency regarding image selection. Now your followers can find you and your brand on any
platform.
Create a Style Guide
A style guide is not the same as your social media strategy. The guide serves as a map of how your brand
will be represented across any, and all, social media channels. This means no matter who is posting for
your company, the posts will always align with your brand.
Here are a few things to include in your style guide:
- All the platforms you use: Facebook, LinkedIn, your website, a blog, etc. This gives your brand
credibility and consistency and leaves less room for error. - Preferred colors, fonts, hashtags, and keywords. Specify font type for headlines as well as
subheads or body text. - Tone (also called voice). Define what that voice is. It can be cheerful, trendy, funny, sarcastic,
energetic or sophisticated. Use previously published content of yours that represents the tone
you want to use and include those in the style guide as examples.
Formatting
The layout of each social media platform is different. What looks great on LinkedIn may not look good at
all on Facebook. When creating a post, use the same layout for brand consistency, but be sure that the
format and size will work for the platform to which you are posting. For example, a Facebook image
is more rectangular while an Instagram image is square. If you try to use the same graphic for both,
some content may not display well. You may have to create a new graphic for each platform, but the
results will be worth it.
Internal Approvals
Filtering posts through one person for review and approval will reduce the chance of errors or incorrect
brand representation. This process is important if you have a team of people each handling a different
social media platform. However, even a single person writing all the posts could use an approval
process. Select the person best suited for this role. It may be the president or owner of the company. In
addition, it’s wise to have one set of eyes that checks spelling, grammar and any legal wording.
Audit, Audit, Audit
The best way to maintain the consistency you have worked so hard to create is to regularly audit your
sites across all platforms. Ensure that the logos are the same and that you’re following the style guide
that you created. Read through your posts to make sure the tone you’re using is still one that represents
your brand. Quarterly audits will help you maintain the consistency you seek to continually build your
brand and your business.
We hope you found these tips helpful. Creating compelling, relevant content that connects your
business with existing customers, while driving new customers in the door is incredibly important, but it
is time-consuming work. We are here to help!
GLM Custom delivers social media packages custom tailored to fit the needs and meet the goals of our
clients. Ask us to build a strategy and management plan that’s perfect for your business! Visit us at www.glminc.com.