Develop Your Brand Through Social Media
Your Vision + Your Voice + Your Visuals = YOUR BRAND
Source: SmartInsights
YOUR VISION Does Your Business Have An Established Brand Vision?
• YES! OK- get to work and SHARE that vision!
• NO! OK- it is time to CREATE one!
Without a crystal clear brand vision you can’t truly define your voice or your visuals– this is the MOST important “V”!
YOUR VISION Having a solid brand vision comes down to knowing:
• What you do and how it’s different from everyone else within your niche.
• Who your ideal clients are—and we’re not just talking a surface
description, were talking like “females in their mid-20’s." SPECIFIC.
• Where your customers spend time and how to reach them. We’re talking
details, like where they hang out on the weekend and what their favorite
catalog or radio station is? Who are they actively “following.”
• Your purpose, your values, and your why. You know, those things that make
you -YOU and get you out of bed each morning happy to go to work.
• Your brand story and owning it—both the struggles and the triumphs.
• What success looks like to YOU within your business and life.
YOUR VISION WHY is this so important?
• Without a clear understanding of what success means to you and your business, the comparison game will get you.
• Having a clear sense direction can help you and your staff manage time best.
• Without a clear purpose, you're bound to get lost along the way.
Your VOICE Think About The 4 “W’s”
1. WHAT do you want to say?
2. WHY do you want to say it?
3. WHAT category is the message falling into?
4. WILL it create engagement?
Ask Yourself: Do I have a consistent style(tone) of speaking and a consistent style of text presentation?
FACEBOOK: CONTENT • Engagements must be earned
• Relatability forms trust and loyalty
• Serve your audience first
• Remember what your community responds to
• Storytelling and content marketing is one of the most
powerful tools on social media
• Use Facebook as a content platform (like a blog)
• To gain further engagement, provide a call-to-action
FACEBOOK: BEST PRACTICES DO’S!
• Create a consistent “beat” for posting
• Experiment to find best posting times for your audience
(General best times: 8-10 am, 12pm-1pm, 3pm, 8-10pm)
• Use content themes which correlate with your brand
• 70/30% rule
• 80 words or < bring your power statement within un-expanded view
• Mix between long and short form posts
• Use media 100% of the time
FACEBOOK: BEST PRACTICES
DON’T’S!
• Don’t use Facebook exclusively as a sales engine
• 100% of the posts shouldn’t ask something of your audience
• Don’t use poorly lit images + videos
• Avoid comments and engagement
• Take (engagement) without giving it to others (3:1 Rule)
INSTAGRAM: CONTENT • High-quality photos and/or videos (typically far less posting than
Facebook is necessary)
• Content themes which correlate with your brand
• Switching up angles and dimensions
• The importance of captions
• Sharing everyday business tastefully
• “Idealist” platform
YOUR VISUALS • Your logo is not YOUR brand
• Your logo is a great starting point, but if you vary fonts, colors, styles and message your followers will never know exactly who they are following or what your message really is?
• Consistency is key • The goal is for your audience to see your visuals and immediately
know it came from you and your brand.
• Brand recognition • Once people recognize your brand, they will remember the
existence of your brand. This may lead to them visiting your website, storefront or other social media platforms to engage.
CONVERTING: INSTAGRAM Instagram Profile Tips
• Include a website if you have one
• Include a public email address
• Include a call-to-action (“inquires”)
• Give a full description of who you are and what you’re about in your profile
• Link to other social media platforms
Use the “link bio” strategy
VISUALS: PHOTO TIPS • Natural light is your best friend
• Snap several to get one great shot
• Always edit your shots (Avoid over-editing!)
• Favorite editing apps: (Afterlight, Rhonna Design, WordSwag,
Instagram provided filters, Videohance, Animoto)
• Ask for help from siblings, significant others, staff, friends
• Mix types of photos in your sequence of posts
• Photographs>Videos>Graphics
• Go the extra mile to “style” photos
• Finding inspiration with other accounts
BRANDING CHEAT SHEET Fill in this questionnaire to dive deeper into your business
brand:
• What does your “target audience” look like? Jot down an age range,
gender, what they do for a living, what their hobbies are, what their typical
income might be, and so on.
• List 5 adjectives that you would use to describe your club and subsequently,
your brand. This is known as your brand voice. (Examples: Approachable,
Fun, Kind, Supportive, Tough, etc.)
• What are the key fonts and colors you would like to use? (Does it integrate
in with your logo, website, colors, established themes)
• What is your elevator pitch? Describe your club in 1-2 sentences.
• What or whom do you consider to be your direct/closest competitor?