Staying Consistent With Your Brand in Social Media

Imagine walking into a business mixer and finding 800 million people in the room.  You discover 400 of these people are actively engaged in conversation. Of these, 130 people know each other personally. Plus 70 languages are being spoken and over 300,000 guests are serving as translators. This picture gives you an idea of the scope of Facebook alone without even taking into consideration other social media platforms.  Adding Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogs measurably increases this number.

You realize you have the opportunity to meet thousands of people from all over the globe who might be interested in you and your business.  But how in this sea of people are you going to get noticed?

One way to rise above the crowd is to be completely consistent with your personal branding. If you do this throughout your social media platforms others can “recognize” you immediately.  Personal branding is what you want to be known for and the results you want to deliver – it’s your reputation.  The important of keeping that “brand” professional in all areas of your life, including social media, is crucial.

How do you build social media brand consistency?

First, it’s essential to be consistent in your Facebook posts. Keep them professional. An unflattering or less-than-appropriate photo or comment on Facebook might provide momentary fun for your friends but it could wreck havoc on your business reputation! You’d think twice about dancing on your table at a business function.   It’s the same thing. So post thoughtfully and strategically. And while the look and feel of most social media platforms is different when someone visits your Facebook or Twitter page, others should know it’s your brand.

Also if you know HTML or FBML or know someone who can write it for you, you can use the FBML tab to create a tab which is very similar to your website. Options in Facebook’s About section also enable you to upload a logo, pictures, or switching tab.

And speaking of Blogs, make sure your writing style is consistent. You want your words to be distinctive so readers know it’s you even before reading your byline.  Including links to other related websites also adds relevance to your blog. Hiring a professional writer who can determine what “voice” you want in your blog and do the writing for you is also a great way to ensure your story is being delivered in an effective, meaningful way.

Branding is easy on Twitter. You can design a background with your logo and contact information, including your Facebook, website and blog URLs and any other social media platforms you use. For ideas check out Twitter pages of others you are following.

Less customization-friendly than Facebook or Twitter, you can still upload a logo with your profile photo on LinkedIn. Include a tagline, mission statement, bio, etc. in your summary. You can also upload slideshows via Slideshare, www.slideshare.net/ to communicate your brand.

EMarketer, www.emarketer.com/, the online site which publishes data, analysis and insights on digital marketing, media and commerce estimates US businesses spent more than three billion dollars on social networking sites in 2011, a 55% increase from 2010. And 2012 trend shows no signs of slowing down. So while traditional advertising methods (TV, radio, magazines and newspapers) are still being used, companies are rapidly using social media.

Do you have ways of building brand consistency in the social media platforms you use? Write Contact encourages your comments.