Why Brand Identity Matters in Social Media Marketing

Information in this blog post was obtained from the HubSpot Blog, Sprout Social, and The Content Marketing Institute.

Image Courtesy of Wix

As a young professional looking to build or grow your career in social media marketing, you know how competitive the industry can be. With so many brands trying to grab attention, the challenge is standing out in a crowded digital space. A strong brand identity is one of the most effective ways to do that. It's more than just a logo or design; it's about creating a consistent and memorable presence that connects with your audience and reflects your brand's values. In this blog post, I'll walk you through visual brand identity and why it's essential for success in social media marketing. First, I'll explain the key components that make up a strong visual identity. Then, I'll share how you can apply that identity consistently across platforms. Finally, I'll cover common mistakes to avoid and best practices to keep your brand aligned.

What is Brand Identity?

Brand identity is the personality of the company and a promise to its following. It communicates what the brand says, its values, and the feelings it evokes when people interact with it. Moreover, brand identity is an aspect of branding that focuses on expressing the brand's personality. There's a misconception that building a brand revolves solely around the name or symbol. However, a brand is a feature or a set of features that separates one organization from another. These features extend throughout the name, slogan, logo, tone, and brand voice (Wheeler, 2023; Sprout Social, n.d.).

Why Brand Identity Matters

Essentially, brand identity is the embodiment of the business and can influence customers, the sense of loyalty to the brand, and the brand's future. When done right, brand identity becomes a long-term investment that makes a company recognizable, whether on a billboard, in a feed, or in someone's hands (Sprout Social, n.d.).

According to a blog post by HubSpot (2023), there are five fundamental components to building a successful brand identity:

1. Create a Visual Identity

Creating a logo is not the sole contributor to a company's brand identity; it is what people notice first. Establishing the brand's visual identity means creating consistent and memorable elements that connect to the company, such as logos, typography, and brand colors. These visual design features belong everywhere your brand lives, from packaging to social media (Sprout Social, n.d.).

2. Build Credibility and Trust

Having a brand identity helps with more than creating a memorable product; it allows your brand to stand out in a large market. When your brand establishes its face and stays true to itself over time, it builds credibility among competitors and customer trust (Wheeler, 2023).

3. Advertise

Any brand is prepared to start advertising when it has a strong visual identity, established credibility, and customer trust. These elements outline everything needed for the brand's advertising, including online, social media, video, or print advertising (Wheeler, 2023).

4. Clarify Your Mission

Creating an identity gives your brand purpose. A strong identity aligns the visuals, voice, and values so your customers know what to expect from the company (Wheeler, 2023). It builds trust and helps the company stand out. Thus, a mission statement stands alone without a clear brand identity.

5. Grow and Retain Your Audience

People notice what your brand can offer when you have established a strong visual identity, clear mission, and standing. Over time, these fundamental components will help your brand generate a loyal customer base and encourage long-term engagement (Wheeler, 2023).

Laying Out Your Brand Identity for Social Media

Image Courtesy of Wix

Using Brand Guides Effectively

One way to keep your brand consistent is to implement a brand style guide. This guide lays the foundation for marketers, designers, and social media marketers to stay unified when representing the brand to the public. Guidelines, including a mission statement, buyer personas, color palette, editorial guide, and typography, are commonly found within brand style guides (Sprout Social, n.d.).

There are many beneficial reasons for implementing a brand style guide. While a long process, it functions as a compass for your company. Moreover, it ensures that every visual and written piece reflects the same tone, values, and appearance, making the wait worth it. According to Spout Social (n.d.), consistent branding helps build recognition and trust with your audience. Over time, the trust built through your audience will increase brand loyalty and create a professional and polished online presence.

Staying Consistent Across Platforms

Supporting this consistency means ensuring that all branding elements are applied uniformly across all platforms, including the same logo variations, color palette, and font pairings. HubSpot (2023) notes that a well-developed brand identity creates a cohesive experience and communicates who your brand is and what the brand’s stance across all mediums.

Moreover, brands also design reusable content templates. Templates for posts, stories, and highlights ensure any team can quickly create on-brand content without sacrificing quality. Online design platforms, such as Canva and Adobe Express, help the process, allowing users to set brand colors, upload logos, and choose fonts, making it easier for your brand's content to stay consistent across every platform (Wheeler, 2023).

For more information about how to create compelling social media content using Canva, go read my colleague's post about it here.

Common Mistakes to Avoid and Consistent Practices

Even with a solid brand style guide, brands fall into certain traps when creating visual content. One of the most common mistakes is inconsistency. Whether that means using the wrong logo variation, fonts, or colors across platforms, these inconsistencies will confuse your audience (Frey, 2015). Staying true to your approved guide is key when building a relationship with your audience.

Another frequent issue is visual clutter. Trying to cram excess text, imagery, or animation into one post can be overwhelming and distract from the main message. Clean and simple visuals are more effective, especially on platforms with fast scrollers. Overusing text or choosing fonts or colors that don't align with your brand can hurt your credibility (Frey, 2015).

Consistency means everything to keep your content cohesive and professional. Social media management tools like Later and Planoly allow you to visually map out your content, ensuring your feed stays aligned with your brand's guidelines. These platforms also support batch content creation and a monthly content calendar to give your team more clarity and direction.

Lastly, copying and pasting the same content everywhere is not being consistent. Each platform has its own best practices. While it may be easier, it is less rewarding in the end. What works on Instagram, an imagery and storytelling driven platform, may not fit on LinkedIn, a professional and insight-driven platform. Adapting your content for each platform while staying on brand is thoughtful and effective marketing (Frey, 2015).

Key Takeaways

I wrote this blog post because brand identity is more than a keyword. Instead, it changes the game for young professionals entering the world of social media marketing. Whether freelancing, working for a company, or building something a personal brand, having a clear and consistent brand identity sets the tone for how people see and trust your brand.

In this blog post, I first broke down what visual brand identity is and why it matters. Then, I outlined the five essential components needed to build a strong identity. I also explored how to maintain consistency across platforms using brand guides and templates. Finally, I highlighted common mistakes to avoid and some practices that can help you present a professional, trustworthy, and authentic brand across every digital touchpoint. Now, you’re better prepared to create on-brand content that drives engagement and builds trust.

Resources

Frey, C. (2015, January 16). Experts Share Visual Content Mistakes to Avoid. The Content Marketing Institute. https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/video-visual-content/experts-share-visual-content-mistakes-to-avoid

Sprout Social. (n.d.). Brand Style Guide. https://sproutsocial.com/glossary/brand-style-guide/

Wheeler, K. (2023, May 10). Brand Identity: How to Develop a Unique & Memorable Brand. HubSpot. https://blog.hubspot.com/agency/develop-brand-identity