Does your Company’s social media profile make your followers feel connected to you? Or does it get lost in the sea of outdated trends and similarities?
With the way that technology and social media evolve so rapidly, it is important to keep up with it by regularly updating your profile. This doesn’t mean changing up your whole look every month — but do keep tabs on your profile picture, header, and overall tone of voice, while making sure it’s consistent with your brand’s standards.
For the purpose of this article, when we refer to a social profile, we’re talking about two things: the profile image and your social page banner.
A Trustworthy Image
Potentially the biggest factor in friends and followers finding trust in your brand and social profile is your profile picture. While it’s true that people connect better to pictures of people online, your logo is the face of your business and is your best bet for your company profile picture.
Follow these key suggestions when it comes to maintaining your logo as your business’s profile picture:
- Always use a clear, sharp version. Profiles with pixelated or blurry logos will be overlooked. PNGs typically work best for social platforms, but JPGs will work as well. Try exporting with mid-to-high quality, so that it looks sharp, but the file size stays under 1MB large.
- Choose your logo orientation wisely, to fill the given space and size. For example, you may want to use the stacked, vertical version of your logo for a square profile picture, but your wide, horizontal version to fill the long space of a banner or header.
- Be sure that your logo does not get cut off by the social media platform’s automatic cropping. Facebook shows photos in a circular crop which will hide graphic elements or fonts if they are too close to any borders.
- If you get a new logo, it is imperative that you update it on ALL platforms. If a prospect sees that you have neglected a platform, they may perceive that to be a part of your brand’s overall character. Consistency is crucial to your brand’s credibility.
Prime Real Estate
Your banner or header on your profile page is the perfect place to make an impact. The banner varies by platform. Instagram does not have one, while Facebook not only does but it is also compatible with short videos.
You can get creative here by changing your banner based on upcoming events, using infographics, or utilizing the video feature. You can also be just as successful by staying safe and using some custom brand graphics to attractively present the goods/services your brand offers with a compelling message. The most important part—whether you choose a creative or simple route for your social banner—is to maintain the same brand tone and aesthetic style throughout.
IC’s social profiles are an example of successfully using a simple, informative, and consistent header across all platforms.
Your Brand through Font, Imagery, and Color
When you bring in a graphic designer, make them aware of your Brand Standards Guide and make certain that they are being followed, especially within your social profiles. Your vendors and employees will need to be sure that your brand identity is being displayed consistently across the board while demonstrating a sense of professionalism and trust.
While we’re on the subject of brand consistency, let’s talk a bit about your social posts. Do all the graphics that your business posts have a unifying theme? Try to use the same photo/graphic style, and always use your brand’s official colors and typefaces for your business posts. Another example of something that you can do to help unify your posts could be to always place your logo in the same spot on every graphic image. Or, you could develop a posting pattern and always post an artsy quote on Monday followed by a company image on Wednesday, for example.
Consistently showcasing your brand will create a positive influence on the action of prospective clients after their first glance at your profile. Remember, prospective employees will be checking out your social pages, too. When they see the care—or neglect—of your brand style, they will either be enticed to stay on your page longer to learn more, or not even give it a second thought before they move on.
Social Media: Show Up & Make it Count
As we all know, “you only get one chance to make a first impression.” In the 21st century, your social media and online presence is often the real first impression people will have with your brand. It can be significant in endearing potential customers to you and your brand, or it can be enough to keep them from ever reaching out.
You must be confident that your social profiles can speak for your brand, as this is what so many people will use to not only make their own decision but also to influence how they speak of your brand and how it will be remembered after their first impression.
For some brands, social profiles may seem like something that can be kept on the backburner indefinitely. Don’t be that brand. Set up a quarterly calendar appointment with your creative team to review your page. Make the investment to remind your current clients that you are still up-and-at-‘em!
When you show up on social media, and your business is active, up-to-date, and trustworthy, you’re on track to build customer loyalty, attract talent and connect with new customers.
