Ever heard the saying "the way you do one thing is how you do everything."? Well, this is what your customers are thinking when they look at your social media channels, but particularly your instagram account.
“Whether you like it or not, your instagram account is now your business card."
Is your IG account content sloppy, low-resolution and generally unprofessional?
Then you are.
Is your instagram full of sleek stock content that could be fake or impersonal?
Then you are untrustworthy.
I know, I know, this sounds harsh and it may not be true! The point is - it's important you are clear and consistent with your social media so it's clear to your audience who you are and what you are about.
Your brand doesn't stop at the logo and the website.
Brands small and large are most successful communicating their values and their ethics through consistent brand extension. What is this? This is your blog, your twitter and your Instagram (your social media) posts over time. It's the doing not saying part of your brand/business online.
Have awesome yelp reviews and repeat customers? That's great! Use your social media platform to share those authentic customer success stories and build trust with prospective clients.
Here are some brands we feel do an excellent job extending and expressing their brand through their social media.
What we like about these brand profiles...
Greenpeace:
- The design of this page is clearly intentional and quite calming. The colors are neutral and the color palette is mostly green, grey and blue.
- The calm and clear design helps the viewer focus on the text and the messages this organization is sharing with its audience.
- We particularly love the custom designed highlight cover images.
- Talking about environmental crisis can be sad and overwhelming and we think Greenpeace has hit the nail on the head creating a peaceful and inviting page for their followers to learn more (not be scared away.)
Florence Given:
- Here we have an IG account for a public person. A persona brand and not a corporation. (Specifically an author)
- Brands that are people are generally allowed (and expected) to be more personal, featuring day in the life content - less branded or perfectly curated - more human you could say. Audiences want to connect with people online and so they go to persona brands to feel connected. Florence does a great job of this while also maintaining a clear brand and point of view.
- We love how fun and flirty her personal brand is and how she expresses that (Emogiis!) through her vintage, feminine color pallet and design.
Chewy:
- Chewy is a dog and pet supplies company and pets are fun! So we love that this profile is fun, approachable and also professional.
- What makes it professional? Design cohesion. Notice that they re-use the same fun, bright colors of navy, orange, mint and pink/red. These colors give a mod meets modern aesthetic and we are living for it.
What can we take away from all of this?
It's important to ask yourself a few questions when designing your social media accounts.
What is the nature of your brand - a person, a business, a non-profit?
The answer to this question will inform what your purpose is and what your audience is looking for (personal stories, sales, products, causes and community etc).
How can I create a brand experience that meets my goals and is also maintainable?
Coming up with realistic and do-able plans to extend your brand story on social media is just as important as the plan itself. Keep your plan within reason.
Consider hiring a professional (like us!) to help you get started with a plan. They can also create a batch of branded graphics or photos that you can intersperse between your more DIY content to give a branded, thoughtful balance to the account.
Whether you are selling shoes or simply trying to build your audience, take your community on your ride with you. Your design on instagram makes a statement about your business. Take into consideration what message you are sending with your content and overall design.
If done well, social media is an incredible avenue to extend your brand, demonstrate consistency, tell your own story, and build trust with you audience.
#brandidentity #brandextension #socialmedia #instagrambrand #greatbrands #instagram #brandedinstagram #socialmediabrand #chorusstudios #startachorus
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