Five Tips to Keep Your Small Business on Brand Across Different Social Media Platforms

Social media is a tremendous marketing tool for small businesses. This is especially true since it is relatively inexpensive but still able to produce an excellent ROI.

Unfortunately, the informal nature of social media means that many businesses don’t take the necessary steps to make sure it remains on brand. And if it doesn’t stay on brand, it isn’t going to produce the best results.

So how do you make sure your social media accounts can attract your target audience of customers and prospects? Here are five tips that will help:

1. Recognize that all social media sites are not created equal. You want to make sure your brand personality shines through when posting on social media, but how you do that will depend on the platform. What you post on Instagram, for example, will look different from what you post on LinkedIn. In other words, one size does not fit all.
2. Consider a style guide. The colors and graphics you use on social media should align with your business logo and other printed materials. This allows for a cohesive look that will enable you to be recognizable no matter where your customers find you.
3. Remain well-connected. No matter where people find you on social media, make sure there is a link to your website. Likewise, make sure that your website has prominent links to your social media pages. This encourages people to visit your website and follow you on social media.
4. Figure out what you want to accomplish. You must know what you are trying to achieve with your social media if you want it to make an impact. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Generate leads? Engage with current customers? If you aren’t sure what you are trying to achieve, chances are you won’t accomplish much of anything. Determine your end goal and then take the steps to achieve that goal.
5. Test, test, and test. No matter what your social media strategy, it is critical that you track its performance. A/B testing will allow you to make changes – even very small ones – that will ensure that your social media strategy is as successful as possible.

No matter how small your business, social media can help you connect with your audience, identify new leads, and increase brand awareness. However, none of this will be possible unless you remain true to who you are as a small business.