How to Create a Consistent Advertising Experience Across Social Media Channels

Social media is arguably the most powerful tool available for brands to maintain a channel of communication with their audiences.

When you consider that 71 percent of consumers who’ve had a pleasant social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others, this proves that all brands should take social media marketing seriously.
One of the challenges with social media is that there are so many platforms available and all of them have their own learning curve. Additionally, the landscape is always changing — new platforms are being released and old channels are becoming stagnant overnight.

If you want to stay on good terms with your audience, I recommend maintaining a presence on a multitude of platforms.

No two platforms are the same and when you’re trying to promote your brand using a handful of social media accounts, you can easily create a disjointed experience for your fans if you’re not careful.

Here are some tips for creating a cohesive experience across all social media platforms.

Names and Taglines

Consistency starts with the names of your social media accounts. Use the name of your business as your account name and keep it consistent on all channels.

People shouldn’t have to manually search for your account on a particular platform — the URL should be obvious.

For example, Taco Bell does an amazing job of brand consistency on social media. You can find the brand at:

• Twitter.com/tacobell
• Facebook.com/tacobell
• Pinterest.com/tacobell

Also, if your brand has a tagline, include it in the profile information for each channel. Can you guess what Nike’s Twitter profile says?

One Voice

Before you start posting on social media, it’s important to choose a linguistic style and tone for your brand. You might decide to be lighthearted and funny or you could pick the straightedge corporate approach.

There are no right and wrong answers, but I recommend choosing your voice based on your niche. Imagine the type of voice your key buyer persona will resonate with.

For instance, deodorant manufacturer, Old Spice, regularly posts hilarious content using a friendly and conversational tone of voice.

As a stark comparison, computer manufacturer, Dell, takes a more professional approach to social media marketing.

It’s important to keep a consistent tone of voice when responding to comments on social media. No matter what platform you’re using, communications should always sound like the same individual when posted by your brand.

You may wish to document the elements of your brand voice as part of a social media style guide, so everyone who posts on behalf of your organization can maintain consistency across all platforms.

Visual Familiarity

Seventy-four percent of marketers use visual assets in their social media marketing.

Since visual imagery is such an integral part of social media, ensuring you’re consistent across all platforms is paramount.

Keep your profile image the same on all accounts. This should be the logo of your company and should also be displayed on your website.

Also, be aware of the tone of your images and the color schemes used on your social media accounts.

Coca Cola features its patented red prominently on social media – which drives brand recognition. The brand also shares plenty of fun, situational photos of the coke product on all platforms.

These types of images help to promote Coca Cola not just as a fizzy drinks manufacturer, but as a lifestyle brand.

Most social media platforms have an abundance of customization options for the visual elements of the account. With a bit of tinkering, you can certainly get your social media accounts to align with one another visually.

Reference Other Platforms

The more points of contact you have with an individual, the more your brand will be reinforced. For this reason, I recommend leveraging your follower base on one platform to build up your followers on another.

For example, if you’re running a contest on Facebook, post an update on all other platforms directing your users to it. Likewise, many brands use LinkedIn to advertise for job opportunities — you can direct followers from all other platforms to LinkedIn if they fit the job specifications.

Users should be able to move from one platform to another and feel a cohesive experience in terms of tone of voice, style and visual displays.

Post Regularly

Content should be cohesive, but tailored to each individual platform.

For instance, generating engagement on Instagram is all about compelling imagery. Posting images of your product in exciting scenarios, as well as utilizing user generated content, will build a great sense of rapport with your fans.

With Twitter, posting high quality, short and snappy content pertaining to immediate events is the way to create engagement.

Whatever type of content you specialize in, ensure that you post regularly on all platforms.

Most brands have a platform that yields better results than others. However, this isn’t an excuse to let secondary platforms decay and die.

When people move between a brand’s social media accounts, they expect to see cohesive yet different styles of content. What they don’t expect to see is neglected accounts.

When you fail to post regularly on all platforms, this ruins your audience’s experience and undermines the integrity of your brand.

Maintaining multiple channels takes time, but social media marketing is a long game not a short-term fix. If you want real engagement, you need to stay committed for the long haul.
Can you think of any other ways to achieve a consistent advertising experience across social media channels? Please let me know in the comments below.

Aaron Agius, CEO of worldwide digital agency Louder Online is, according to Forbes, among the world’s leading digital marketers. Working with clients such as Salesforce, Coca-Cola, IBM, Intel, and scores of stellar brands, Aaron is a growth marketer – a fusion between search, content, social, and PR. Find him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or on the Louder Online blog.

The post How to Create a Consistent Advertising Experience Across Social Media Channels appeared first on SiteProNews.