As much as we hate to admit it, we’re all guilty of making snap judgements.
Whether that’s the quality of a book on a shelf, the type of service we might receive when we walk past a coffee shop, or the range of clothes in a shop. Our senses are constantly being stimulated and helping us decide where we want to focus our time and energy.
And it’s the same when it comes to how our clients perceive us online.
We only get one opportunity to make a great first impression. We only get that one chance to entice people to come back to find out more about what’s happening in our world.
When you’re looking at how you appear and present your business online… consistency is KEY. Consistency in HOW you show up, as well as WHEN you show up.
In this blog, let’s look at how to consistently market your business on social media with a super-simple 1-2-3 formula!
Step 1 – Create authentic branding.
Branding (noun) – “the promotion of a particular product or company using advertising and distinctive design.”
When it comes to your branding, could you describe YOUR distinctive USPs using a few words or a simple sentence?
Could someone picture your brand easily?
If the answer’s no, chances are your branding isn’t quite representing who you are… just yet!
I’ve recently been through a rebrand, and the whole process was wonderfully therapeutic! I gave every minor detail some serious thought. From the colour palette and fonts, to the images I was using.
Because they ALL represent YOU! So they need to show the online world who you are and what you represent.
Step 2 – Utilise the psychology of colour.
“Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.” Wassily Kandinsky
Colour has become a hot topic in the online world. And it’s hardly surprising. It’s got the ability to influence mood, feelings and behaviours.
Our perceptions of a brand and the unconscious decisions we make based on the use of colour really interest me! You could spend hours trying to study the science behind it all, but I know you’re busy, so I’ll just give you some of the headlines!
Have you thought about the colours you’re using for your branding and what emotions they may conjure up?
For example:
- Blue. Often used in company logos (think Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Oral-B), blue is synonymous with trust, loyalty, and confidence.
- Green. Widely associated with nature and well-being, green is popular amongst brands looking to position themselves as environmentally friendly. Physically ‘cool’ colours, such as green, also reduce heart rate leaving people feeling calm and relaxed. Examples of green logos include Starbucks, Heineken and Land Rover.
- Red. A highly evocative colour with strong connotations of passion, love, and desire, red offers a bold and powerful presence. No wonder it’s the colour of choice of several big brands, such as Coca-Cola, Netflix and Nintendo.
- Yellow. Fab for capturing attention (think of high-vis vests or reflective strips on emergency vehicles). Yellow doesn’t just symbolise caution though. It can evoke feelings of positivity, optimism, and sunshine. It seems to do the job for brands such as Mcdonald’s, Shell and Ikea!
- Black. Seen as classic and timeless (think the ‘little black dress’ or black tuxedo!), black is often used for high-end brands to convey sophistication and aspiration. Think Gucci, Prada and Nike!
(See, I told you I was fascinated by this stuff!)
If you haven’t given much thought to YOUR use of colour and what it says about YOU, now’s a great time to start!
Step 3 – Make your content pop!
Don’t shy away from injecting your unique personality into your content.
Yep, I get it. It can be tempting to dial down parts of your authentic self because you’re worried you might come across as too geeky, too confident or too serious!
But you know something? If you want to attract the clients you’re going to adore working with; you need to show the world the real YOU. Warts and all!
Sure, some people might not get you or think you’re a bit much. But they’re probably the kind of clients you wouldn’t gel with anyway.
So how can you make your content pop and show up authentically? Well, here are a few ideas to get you going.
- Create templates. A range of easy-to-customise templates that are consistent and on-brand will cut your content generation time in half. I promise you!
- Make sure your social media accounts, content, images, invoices (basically anything and everything in your biz!) contain your logo and that it’s easy to see. There’s nothing worse than a teeny tiny logo that you have to squint to make out!
- Consider the placement of your content, especially on Insta. There are plenty of scheduling tools with preview apps, so you can see how your grid will look with your scheduled posts.
Ready to start your own social media success story?
