Creating a unified brand presence online is an important part of your overall marketing and branding strategy. You want your brand to be easily recognized on every channel. Create a similar look and feel across channels, but keep in mind that they do not have to be identical. There will be differences, just as your properties have different personalities, functions and purposes. Some things that can help create a consistent look and feel for each page include:
Brand Colors
Look at the background of your website, your logo colors and font colors. All of these come into play when designing for social media channels. When possible, you should have a consistent look and feel. Occasionally, you may want to add a creative element on your social media channels. Take a look at the current cover photo of SocialNicole’s Facebook. We are testing this and having fun with it, but only on our Facebook page. We are not ready to move it to the other pages without feedback. You will note that our logo, font and colors are part of the look and feel of the Facebook image. We carry our branded look and feel into our fun social images.
Core Messaging
If you do not have a general core-messaging document, now is a good time create one. As a company, you should know your values, voice and your overall message as it relates to your product. This is who you are as a company, which is incredibly important. You will derive all messaging, both online and offline from this document. While it is not required to have a messaging document, we find that it is helpful for companies of any size. Verify that the messaging is consistent across all channels. Your profiles should be similar, but not exact. Messages contained in cover photos should be consistent with your core message as well. If you are running a specific campaign, make sure that campaign messaging is used.
Logo Image
You may have multiple versions designed for different uses. On social media, use the same logo image across channels. Select the best fit logo image for your social media channels and use it consistently.
Fonts
Using your brand’s colors in images is as important as using branded fonts. Being consistent with design decisions can be the difference between people recognizing or overlooking you on different channels. Take inventory of your social channels and see how you stack up for branding. Chances are, there is room for adjustments. At SocialNicole, we take inventory of the social channels when we adjust a cover photo or change a concept on one account. This is a constant process to ensure everything is unified. Take a look at this infographic below and use it as you take inventory of each channel. See what you can do to ensure every channel has a branded look and feel. Note Twitter has recently changed it’s cover image dimensions (May 2014). Here are the new dimensions: 1500px (width) X 421px (height) At SocialNicole, we offer customized solutions for social media management. Contact us today! Infographic Credit