Your social media might be the first place someone discovers your business. Before they visit your website, send an enquiry or buy from you, there’s a good chance they’ll have a quick scroll through your Instagram or TikTok first.

And what they see matters.

Good social media branding isn’t about having a perfectly curated feed or making every post look the same. It’s about making sure your content actually feels like your brand. Your colours, fonts, photography, graphics and even the way you write all play a part in creating a consistent brand identity that people start to recognise.

If your social media currently feels a little all over the place, you don’t necessarily need a complete rebrand. Sometimes a few simple changes can make your online presence feel much more considered and professional.

Here are six practical ways to improve your social media branding:

1. Have consistent topic

I recommend picking just a few topics that are closely related to your industry and stick to them when posting across your social media platforms. For example, as a designer I post about visual branding and design, entrepreneurship and self-care in business. All of these are directly related to my brand and are relatable to my desired clients. If I started posting about aero planes or baby food, it would seem out of place right? But by focusing on my main areas of expertise, my brand has become a go-to account for people’s interest in design and entrepreneurship.

2. Have consistent visual branding

Visuals play a HUGE role in social media branding and building trust. If each of your social media profiles looks like they’re owned by a different company, it creates a disconnect and therefore dis-trust for your target audience. You want your branding to be cohesive across all platforms. This will help your target audience immediately recognise your company no matter which site or app they’re using.

Here are some tips to take away from my use of visual branding on social media:

• Use the same profile image: You must use the same profile image for every social network. This could be a logo or an image of yourself. People should see your profile and immediately identify it with your brand.

• Choose a color palette and stick to it: I use my four colour scheme across all social media platforms. You’ll very rarely find visuals that don’t include my brand colours. You want to get to a point where people associate those colours with your brand. If you’re struggling to define your colours, take a look at your logo. 

• Filter carefully if at all!: Keep the visuals you share consistent. If you’re using a filter on your images, stick to one. Using a different filter for every image you share makes your posts look inconsistent and unprofessional. I personally prefer not to use any filters. 

• Create templates: stick to a set of templates for any graphics you share on social media. That way, your fonts, colours and designs will always be consistent. It’s worthwhile hiring a professional designer to create these for you. Plus it saves your A LOT of time!

4. Post regularly

Posting irregularly can literally kill your social media branding efforts. If you’resharing to Tik Tok or posting on the Gram once every few days, you’re going to be forgotten….very quickly. I recommend posting at least three times per week. At first this was a struggle for me, so I started to plan my posts in Asana at least one week in advance, as well as create the visuals for each post and have them on my phone ready to post when needed. 

5. Utilise your profile/bio

Are you letting your bio or profile section go to waste on your social media? Your profile/bio is a great way to let your target audience know who you’re and what your company does. 

Don’t fill your profile up with irrelevant information and random hashtags. Treat it like a short and snappy elevator pitch. If you had to describe what your business does in one or two sentences at the most, what would it be? 

6. You MUST engage

Start building awareness for your brand on social media by engaging and interacting with other users. If the only time you appear on social media is to share content, it’s like having a conversation with yourself. Make sure you are replying to comments on your posts within the first hour, it will help build trust and make your company seem more approachable. Also get seen by commenting on other posts/pages your target audience maybe at. 

Ready to build a brand?

Building a strong brand on social media doesn’t mean every post needs to be perfectly designed. What matters is consistency. When your colours, fonts, imagery and messaging work together, your content becomes easier to recognise and your business starts to feel more established.

Start small. Choose one or two areas from the tips above and work on those first. Over time, those small changes can make a big difference to how your brand looks and feels online.

And if you’re struggling to create a brand identity that feels like you and connects with the right people, that’s where I can help. At Studio Elaris, I create thoughtful branding and websites that give businesses a clear, consistent identity both on and offline.

Natalie 

Web Design | Print/Graphic Design | Brand Design
Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieharris.design
Email: hello@studioelaris.com