23rd November 2022
It’s a question I get asked a lot. Should I brand my social media posts?
My answer is always YES and NO. Sometimes it’s important to remind followers about your brand identity and sharing your logo, imagery, font style, colours etc is important, but it shouldn’t be done on every single post you share, because then it starts to look repetitive and boring…. and as well as turning off followers and potential new followers, the algorithm’s, those things that decide whether or not to share your posts will probably dismiss the image you have spent ages creating because it it too repetitive.
Let’s take a look at the following example:
1st image: Strong brand identity with a powerful message. Followers recognise the logo and the avatar, they understand that the text message relates to an upcoming blog post or social message. Using the brand logo adds weight to the message the visual is trying to convey.
2nd image: An updated version which suggests the blog post or social media message is ready for viewing. The impact of the avatar once again strengthens the message for followers who recognise this as a ‘given’ that information is being shared.
3rd image: The big avatar has gone, but the graphic still features the logo. This is still a clear indication for followers that a post with a message has been shared, and usually a link will have been posted in the text that goes with this kind of image (and the previous one).
4th image: no avatar, no logo, just 6 words; a statement about branding. This kind of graphic, minimal and clean appeals to some people who prefer simplistic posts and might encourage them to look further into the text that accompanies it as the message has made them curious to find out more.
There is no right or wrong way, but what you should try to do is create a smorgasbord or a patchwork quilt of images that followers and potential new followers see daily. Algorithm’s work best for you when you mix up your daily posts, but using your logo on every one is just the same as using hashtags and images that are repetitive, your hardwork goes nowhere as they do not get shared on followers daily feeds.
So whilst there is some uniformity and brand identification with most of the images in the start of this blog post, ultimately they are too repetitive and (apart from no.4) will end up not being very successful, unless they are used in and amongst other images and messages that differ greatly. Try and share unique images and text that tell the story of your brand in a fun and engaging way, and avoid repetition at all costs.
Here at my top 5 tips for your social world:
Coming soon, hashtags #AreTheyWorthTheEffort
