In a rapidly changing online world, it can be hard to keep up with the newest trends and best practices in social media. Branding yourself properly on these platforms is crucial for business owners who want to stay relevant and make an impact with potential customers which means you may be wondering how to brand yourself on social media.
While success on social media is never guaranteed, and the platforms are ever-evolving, there are a few key things that you can do to help put your best foot forward when it comes to branding yourself on social media. Your presence on social media goes so much further than just jumping on the latest trends or trying to post on every single platform there is.
So, let’s dive into my top tips for how to brand yourself on social media.
Get your branding done by a professional first
Before you even think about branding yourself on social media, you need to ensure you have a professional brand created first. This will include things like your color palette and logos (which will be important when it comes to the visuals you use) but also your brand voice, ideal client, and more.
A solid brand will dive into the strategy that drives success and help you curate your presence holistically, which will translate to understanding the best way to represent your brand on social media. What your business does, how you serve your clients, your positioning in the market, and why you do it are all vital aspects to your brand, and a professional brand strategist + designer will help tease all of this out with you to give you a solid footing This way you can approach your social media presence with confidence as a company- not a thrown together ‘Instagram Business’.
Ensure that your website and your social media are up to date
Social media is a significant part of your online presence, but you also have to remember that your website plays a major role as well. Even if most of your clients find you via social media, their next step is going to your website to learn more about your business, how to work with you, and to get in touch.
Pro Tip: A linktree, bio.fm ect are not your website. You don’t own those platforms- in fact, they mine your traffic. If you truly want to claim your space as a brand you need your own website that you own.
Since your audience will land on your website right after they land on your social profile, it is crucial that both your social media and your website are up to date. You want to avoid having two completely different vibes between the two spaces, as this will create inconsistency and confusion for your business.
As your business grows, you may also decide to refresh your brand, whether that’s a new logo, color palette, brand photography, etc. When you are thinking about how to rebrand yourself on social media with this updated content, make sure you are also updating your website as well. Your goal should always be to make your social media feel like an extension of your website and vice versa, and that can only be achieved through consistency.
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Own your name on every social media platform
You should own your business name on every social media platform, even if you don’t use them all yet. Realistically, you’re most likely not going to be active on all platforms, but that shouldn’t stop you from having a handle with your brand name on each and your bio completed with a link out to your website in case someone lands on an inactive platform
Once you have your name across all the platforms, start getting serious with just one. Master the platform where most of your ideal clients and customers will come from. Then, you can slowly add on more and more platforms to expand your reach.
For example, if your ideal client isn’t that likely to find you on TikTok, don’t try to spread yourself too thin and post here and on Instagram and Pinterest. Start with just Instagram and build a base there. Once you feel confident and comfortable with Instagram and leads flow in or customers are purchasing, then you can start to branch out and start posting on another platform.
Owning your name on all of these platforms doesn’t mean you have to use them immediately, but it does give you the option to create a brand presence on them as your business grows.
Make sure your tone of voice and messaging is uniform across all platforms
Just like you want your social media and website to feel consistent, you also want your brand message and tone of voice to be uniform across the board. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to post the exact same thing on every single platform. You can tweak your presence to fit the platform and what people will be attracted to.
However, you don’t want to take that too far and end up with a completely different brand voice on Instagram versus your website versus TikTok, or any other platform you use.
If your brand voice and messaging are very personality-focused, you can show off different aspects of your personality on various platforms. However, you don’t want one platform to be light and uplifting and another professional and straightforward, and another goofy and irreverent.
Each place your brand is represented should provide a piece of the puzzle, and together, potential clients should be able to see a full, cohesive brand, not one that is going in multiple different directions.
Use visuals in a meaningful and thoughtful way
Visuals are very important when it comes to social media, but you want to make sure you are using them meaningfully. While it was popular for a while, gone are the days of a perfectly curated grid that you force content into.
Instead, your feed should be helpful, engaging, provoking, and have social proof of your work/product including why people love your brand. Now, when we say don’t use a grid, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a specific schedule or cycle when it comes to what you post. If you have found a routine, and it helps to know that you’re going to post educational content on one day, a portfolio piece the next, and something that markets a specific product the next, then you can absolutely keep that schedule.
However, if you’re talking about a specific type of client you work with (photographer, business coach, financial advisor, etc), make sure you use examples from those types of clients. If you’re doing a carousel that has a bunch of information on it, maybe opt for solid backgrounds in your brand colors or just use your brand pattern. You don’t want the visual to be overwhelming or take away from the information you are trying to convey. And you certainly don’t want the visual ‘look’ to dictate what you share.
Consistency is key
Just like everything else in your business, consistency is key when it comes to branding yourself on social media. Your feeds should feel cohesive (not cookie cutter), and people should be able to know what kind of information they are going to get from you.
If your brand is focused on education and coaching, make yourself a go-to resource for those topics. If you are a designer, make sure you are consistently posting examples of your work and testimonials from your clients to build that credibility.
Consistently also goes further than just what you post but also when you post. Now, you can go to ten different people, and they may give you ten different opinions on when and how often you should post, but ultimately, it is going to be up to you on how often you post.
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However, whether you post once a week, three times a week, or every day, make sure you are consistent. You don’t want your social media presence to feel confusing or sporadic, and you want people to be able to count on your posts for some sort of valuable information throughout the week. They should never think you shut down your business because its been months since your last post or share.
Don’t rely solely on social media, as it is not a for-sure thing
Finally, do not rely solely on social media. Social media tends to ebb and flow and can be unreliable at times. There are also rare cases where people’s accounts have been deleted altogether.
Although you are putting a lot of work into social media and branding yourself there, find ways to get your people off of these platforms too. A great way to do this is through an email list. Having links to sign up for a freebie that subscribes them to an email list is a great way to keep potential clients engaged in your content over time.
You could also have links on your social media to things like blog pages, podcasts, magazines, and more. All of these things give your followers alternate places where they can connect with you and learn from you and can help build those relationships that will convert into clients. Those pieces of content are OWNED. And it is important to remember you don’t own your social media accounts.
Hopefully, these tips help you as you navigate how to brand yourself on social media. If you are still working on the first step, get in touch and see how we can help create a brand for you that sets you up for success!
