The importance of consistency across social media channels
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ou don’t need numerous social media accounts across ten platforms to help grow and establish your business online. By choosing the right ones and keeping them consistent with each other they can be the driving force to generating engagement and boosting sales.
Don’t be too hasty and scream buy me at your customers.
What does consistency actually mean in relation to social media accounts?
Colour, design and brand messages should be the same, if not similar. Otherwise potential customers may become confused especially if the account is the correct one. A clear brand message and design that runs across the platforms helps towards improving brand awareness, with customers recognising products, logos, fonts and colours with ease. Being online is readily accessible, therefore customers that may not be local to the business can interact and show their appreciation by connecting and supporting social posts. If all the necessary information can be found on an account, the experience is generally a more positive one.
To build a memorable brand that customers will return to time and time again, focus on establishing social media accounts that look the same. They should highlight your brand values and meet the standard of product or service on offer, if you wish to be sophisticated posting cheesy quotes in garish colours won’t align well.
Once your brand values are solid and realistic you need to be able to deliver them in a way that appeals to the customer. If you offer a bespoke service your brand values may focus on quality with unique pieces, make sure your social channels reflect this with unique content that won’t be seen on any other feeds. If you are a high end, luxury retailer this should be seen through high quality imagery and elevated language. Remain concise and clear in what you're saying so nothing can be interpreted incorrectly.
"To build a memorable brand that customers will return to time and time again, focus on establishing social media accounts that look the same."
Key areas to consider when building your social media brand image are:
Attention
Who are you trying to attract and what will get their attention? Are you offering services where you can show them the process? Are you offering a product? Can they see what it actually does and looks like? Can you do this in a way your competitors are not? You could build a USP through your online snapshots of these processes.
What pushes them away
Don’t be too hasty and scream buy me at your customers. Clarity and honesty will eventually have sales rising, so there isn't really any need to overload with pressure to buy. If potential customers are interested they will connect and enquire, which is where consistency in brand handwriting and concise information will lead them to a seamless purchasing experience.
The power of the big three, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram have the power to rise engagement through the roof in a short time if used efficiently. Get the right people invested in your product and you will reap the benefits online and in sales. As these platforms are increasingly saturated with content for a usership that continues to spend hours online, even unconsciously communicated posts that are lower on interaction can catch the eye of those endlessly scrolling, absorbing information they may not even think they are.
Create a personality
Whilst building upon an online voice and presence it is easy to forget personality, which is vital to remaining approachable and attainable to a range of customers. Despite the lack of in person interaction, the loss of human understanding online can tarnish brand names and put people off. You wouldn't rush at the chance to be off hand and rude in person, so why would that be the case online, everything can be seen with a bigger knock on effect to brand image than you would think. Be true to your brand and be personable, don’t patronise or ignore and don’t look down on potential custom if they say the wrong thing.
Don’t forget to include keywords
Choosing the right keywords that work across a numbers of platforms is another area that will maintain a steady rise in interactions. These keywords may already feature in your current bio, make sure they are on every platform. Do you have a hashtag? Integrate keywords into that hashtag to build a conversation that is easily accessible. Twitter may have raised its character limit, but don't over fill with long words that only a selected few will know if you are trying to attract the masses. Unlike Instagram, the photo platform can handle the back story as long as you keep stories and highlights to the point for quick, easily digested information.
Always be active
The best way to stay at the top of your game online is to be as active as possible. If you don’t post in a week, do not fear you won’t be losing half of your followers, but leaving accounts stale with no new information for months reflects on whether you are active as a company. If you post new content and interact with the comments, it keeps you on their radar for when the time is right for them to get involved with you, it may be the difference between you being their first choice.
Do you feel you may need some social media help to set you up on the right path to improve your customer engagement? You can contact us on 01253 446933 and find us on @happy_creative.
