Social media branding is all about boosting awareness. As a digital publisher, you want people to be aware that your website exists. With the right strategies on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can bring more visitors into your sales funnel and convert more readers into subscribers.
There isn’t a publisher out there who doesn’t want more bang for their buck when it comes to social media. That means spending less time, and less money, and still getting a positive return on investment. If you’re investing in social media for the long-term, the best place to begin is with social media branding. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter offer a proven way to connect with audiences. It’s up to you to find ways to use those platforms to maximize your gains.
Consistency is the key to any successful social branding campaign. As a digital publisher, you want to make sure you are writing in a similar tone across all of your social channels, including email marketing and newsletters. The “voice” of your publication should be consistent on your website and all other social properties, so readers can recognize your brand even if it’s their first time seeing you on a platform like LinkedIn or Twitter. We want readers to instantly recognize your publication’s writing style even before they see your logo or social media handle.
Consistency and tone matter more than logos or color palettes when it comes to social media branding. How do your posts make readers feel? What topics do you cover? Keeping it consistent across every digital interaction will help you foster a greater sense of reader loyalty and it will ultimately lead to a greater ROI from your social media efforts.
Top Branding Strategies on Social Media
1. Keep Logos Consistent
Here we go again. Consistency, consistency, consistency. A key element of social media branding involves having a consistent color palette and bio across all social platforms. Your publication’s handle should be the same, so users can easily find you on any of the popular networks without having to search.
If you choose to style your logo slightly differently based on the platform (for example, using a different filter on Instagram) make sure there is some key theme or a common thread that runs throughout. For example, some publications will use the same logo for both Facebook and LinkedIn, but a different banner or cover photo along the tops of their profile pages. If you do this, just make sure to keep the color palette consistent. You could also consider animating your cover photo on Facebook as a way to get more video views.
2. Extend Your Branding
Once your handles have been chosen and your logos have been updated, it’s time to start managing your social media accounts. Extend your branding by using a common font or filter on all of the images you post. Tone of voice comes into play here, too. Your publication’s tone should stay consistent across social platforms, even if the topics you cover or the angles you use are slightly different. Over time, readers will begin to recognize posts that you’ve put up, even without looking at your handle.
3. Create Multiple Accounts
The New York Times has dozens of Twitter accounts, each with its own vertical-specific focus. If your publication has a sizeable audience, consider adopting a similar strategy. Some of the ways you can approach this are to create a social media account for each section (news, sports, travel, restaurants, etc.) or to create separate accounts for each of your departments (editorial, advertising, customer service, marketing, etc.) Many brands maintain several accounts that address different areas of their business. Digital publishers can do the same, and in doing so, they can significantly extend their reach.
Action Steps for Social Media Branding
Now that we’ve gotten you excited, it’s time to get started branding your publication on social media. Give these quick strategies a try:
- Run a social media audit to get a sense of what you’re starting with.
- Make your logos, banners, bios, and posting style consistent.
- Take a look at what similar publications are doing on social media.
- Develop templates that editors can use when posting announcements.
- Keep your publication’s aesthetic and tone in mind when putting together new posts.
- Write out a guide to editorial tone on social media that editors and writers can refer to.
- Consider creating accounts for the different sections on your website.
Want to learn even more about growing your audience on social media? Check out Web Publisher PRO’s guide to the best social media plugins.
