How to keep your brand (and content) consistent across your social channels

New social media platforms appear pretty often, and for each new platform that attracts thousands of users, there needs to be a strategy tailor-made to reach them. Now, here’s the catch, every platform has different requirements - Twitter limits you to 140 characters, Instagram focuses on photos and videos, and LinkedIn users will shun you for talking about anything that isn’t a cheesy motivational quote.

So, let’s have a look at the ways you can stay true to your brand voice, whilst following the unwritten rules and regulations of these channels.

Know yourself

Thanks, DJ Khaled.

This is probably one of the most important aspects in having consistency across social media platforms.

What’s your brand's voice? How do you address your customers? Are you ‘down with the kids’ and an absolute savage to your customers, like Wendy’s burger bar? Or are you calm and authoritative, much like Microsoft, or IBM?

Now, this should’ve been figured out way before you launched yourself into the social media world (which obviously, you’ve already got totally sorted), as it makes it a heck of a lot easier to write copy and create content. This will also help to prevent the temptation to jump on any trends that may not be relevant to your company. For example, we probably wouldn’t see Channel 4 news talking about Kim Kardashian at the beach on Twitter. Sorry, Jon Snow.

Know your audience

Let’s have a look at United Airline’s recent big mistake (well, one of them anyway), they seemed to have thought that they could get away with using the phrase “re-accommodate” (I suppose it does sound better than violently force. Hey, maybe they shouldn’t have done it in the first place?) on a platform like Twitter, whose users tend to favour colloquialism and personability.

Was Twitter happy about this? Twitter was not happy about this.

This doesn’t mean that you should change your brand voice for every platform, but rather that you give consideration to who's engaging on that platform before crafting your message. So that meme that did really well on Instagram? Probably best to leave it off LinkedIn.

If you know your audience for each platform, you’ll be able to create content that reaches each customer, while still remaining coherent to your brand identity.

Keep your look consistent

You have a lot of control over the design of your social channels, from banners, to profile pictures, to colour themes, and even down to the theme of the media you use. If people know your logo, and the colours most commonly associated with your brand, this should make it super easy for them to find you on social media.

Your Facebook profile picture should be the same or very similar to all your other profile pictures, regardless of the nature of the site. The same goes for your banner. You want this to be instantly familiar, so your customers know who you are the minute they see you, no matter what platform they find you on.

Your Facebook profile picture should be the same or very similar to all your other profile pictures, regardless of the nature of the site. The same goes for your banner. You want this to be instantly familiar, so your customers know who you are the minute they see you, no matter what platform they find you on.

Want to kick your social media strategy up a gear? Book your free BoffinBulb. Right. Now. 

Feeling generous

The International Day of Happiness is celebrated throughout the world on the 20th of March. The International Day of Happiness was founded by United Nations adviser Jayme Illien on June 28, 2012, when all 193 member states of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted UN resolution 66/28, which declares the pursuit of happiness as a human right and a "fundamental human goal." 

So in light of this celebration we're feeling generous and want to share the joy amongst our valued connections and network. In these times of increased hate and anxiety, taking time to appreciate happiness and give back can be very rewarding.

Therefore Digital Boffins is giving every new customer that signs up this week £50 towards social media advertising and we'll also donate £10 to a local charity on behalf of each new client.

Email us at - info@DigitalBoffins.co.uk or call 01202 971765

This will run till close of play on Friday 24th March 2017. Terms and conditions apply, enquire for details.

Being spontaneous on social media

Exactly! I think sometimes businesses think they need to have a detailed plan and road map of everything they want to put out there on social media. That's not the case. The idea of social media marketing is to give your business a personality and an identity. Yes, a plan helps but it doesn't mean you can't be flexible.

I spoke to an associate earlier today and he mentioned that they have been hung up on trying to make the perfect and polished piece of content. My response to him was, don't be afraid to be reactive and spontaneous. If there's something relevant that you want people to know, then just grab a phone and record it in your office. Just because you used a camera phone and filmed it in your office doesn't mean your reputation as a business will diminish.

As long as what you're saying is valuable and helpful to your target market, that's what will determine your worth. You must want to build trust with your consumers and develop an emotional connection, and being personable and instinctive can help you and your business convey this.

We're due to have a BoffinBulb with this associate I mentioned, and talk through some ideas of how being impromptu and creative can help develop a strong consumer link. We're always happy to help and offer advice that businesses can implement right away and see the difference.

Safer Internet Day 2017

Today is Safer Internet Day 2017. Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the celebration sees hundreds of organisations getting involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community. It calls upon young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies, policymakers, and wider, to join together in helping to create a better internet.

For social media use it highlights the importance of being able to know what you should and shouldn't be putting out there. The focus being on children and teens and educating them on the potential dangers of social media. Do your kids know the difference between personal and non-personal information? Unfortunately in most cases they don't. They are not able to distinguish the difference and whether they can or cannot share this information on the internet. 

This would be a good starting point to help encourage a more safer approach to social media. The theme of this year's Safer Internet Day is ‘Be the change: Unite for a better internet’. Play your part in making the internet a better place. Be positive, show respect and help people if they are upset.

The UK Safer Internet Centre has provided a couple of guides and tips for young children on how they can help make the internet a better place. Click here.

Facebook isn't done yet..

There's no denying that Facebook has become a social media marketing powerhouse. It's inundated increase in users per day is beyond belief.

The platform now has more than 1.79 billion users, with close to 1.2 billion of them logging in daily. Compare that to the next biggest social network of the moment, Instagram - they're seeing 600 million monthly active users, with 300 million per day.

It's for this reason marketers and businesses should be looking to get their Facebook marketing efforts in order. It's important to remember that findings can not always be applied to different industries and target markets. You have to find what works best for you and your business and what is relevant to your consumers.

BuzzSumo recently analysed more than 800 million Facebook posts from 2016 to determine the key elements that are driving more shares, likes and comments. 

The research may have been conducted while focussing on the US markets, however it's hard to ignore these stats. Don't be afraid to try new things, most times the process can be trial and error. But don't underestimate how much time people are actually spending on social networks.