Branding Social Networks: Features and Recommendations

The presence of a business in social networks is an essential element in building marketing communications. An account is the official representative of the company. Therefore, it is important to ensure its visual difference, associativity, and recognition. Branding a social network will allow you to use the potential of visual content to attract customers and partners. Let’s talk about how to properly brand your profile.

Why is Branding a Profile Necessary on Social Media?

According to Global Digital, there are more than 4.3 billion active Internet users in 2019.  More than 3.4 billion of them are registered on social networks. Compared to 2019, their number increased by 9%. Every 5 seconds, about 40 new social media users appear in the world. Imagine an audience the size of half the world’s population. And all these people are online almost every day. The possibility to find your customers and followers here is very high.

Designing a social network as part of an SMM strategy will increase brand awareness. The branded page will help solve such problems:

1. Creating a single visual environment. The account will become recognizable. This is a competitive advantage and an opportunity to attract subscribers and create an atmosphere for communication.
2. Reputation management. A brand account is a source of official and reliable information. Its content, including visual, directly affects the company’s perception of the audience.
3. Extension of coverage. A recognizable page encourages new visitors to become subscribers. By signing up, they can turn into customers: it depends on the positioning of the company and the quality of the content.
4. Strengthening influence. The branded page and content confirm the high status of the brand. Confidence in the company is an important indicator that is valued by customers, partners and investors.
5. Unified corporate identity. If a company has branded elements, the question of how to brand a social network is much easier to solve. Account design will become part of the brand’s overall marketing strategy.

The Elements of Visual Branding

Social media branding options depend on the type of business and platform features. But there are similar elements on most social networks.

Profile Picture

It is the main image of the page, placed in the most visible place. The user “clings” to him with his / her eyes. The decision on whether to go or not to go to a page or subscribe is often based on this picture. The optimal solution for the brand is to place the logo without additional inscriptions on a neutral background. If you don’t have your own logo yet, you can generate it online. For example, the Logaster service logotipos en línea will create dozens of image options in a few seconds. They can be edited and downloaded.

Miniature

This is a profile photo in a reduced format that accompanies each post in a corporate account. It is formed automatically. Therefore, it is important to choose a photo with a central visual element, so that it is clearly distinguishable in any size.

Profile Cover

It is used on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. It is a rectangular image placed near the profile photo. When branding an account, the cover can be used to:

• complement a logo (write company name, slogan);
• show contact details;
• create a single visual space (for example, the logo on the photo and the image of modern production on the cover);
• publish short up-to-date information, promotions, and discounts announcements.

Guidelines for Branding Pages on Social Networks

How to design a page on a social network? Before branding your account, you must have an approved logo, corporate colors, and fonts. Preparing the cover and profile picture is just the beginning of the work. Moreover:

1. Prepare publication design templates. Content needs to be published in a single style. You can create design options for publications on various topics: official information, advertising, entertainment. Achieve a single style with 1-2 standard filters, use the logo as a watermark, and the same color scheme.
2. Use the option “Profile Description”, which exists on almost every social network. Place a unique selling proposition and contacts for communication in the description.

3. Follow the guidelines for the size of visual content for social media. The requirements are different, so you have to prepare separate logos and different images for each site.

Source: renderforest.com

Be sure to check the designed page on different devices and screen types. Make sure that the visual elements of the profile look good, not cropped or stretched.

How to Properly Brand a Page on a Social Network: Ideas and Solutions

The original ideas of branding a social network are of great value. But each unique solution is based on standard recommendations:

• Choose images carefully. Quality, idea, composition, and hidden meaning – everything matters. Checking the quality of an image is easy: it should attract attention even without textual accompaniment;
• Make basic adjustments to visual content. You can add tones to the picture that are in harmony with the colors of your brand. Try different filter options and select the ones that will process most of your photos;
• Find your own font to complement the images. If you have a brand book and a unique brand font, then that is great. If not, choose the one you want from the free collection or order its development from the designer;
• Create holistic content. This is a single color palette on the entire page, good visibility of images, readable text, and a deep meaning of text content;
• Conduct a test for each post: does it evoke opposite emotions, does it stimulate the necessary actions;
• Prepare content for 1-2 weeks in advance. This is especially related to posts that are not tied to the date of publication. Create multiple background templates for quick content preparation. Use the services for postponed posting.

Useful Services for the Design and Branding Social Networks

It is more convenient to brand social networks using special tools. We already mentioned Logaster for creating a logo in the format of a profile picture and profile cover. Here are some additional services.

Crello

It provides a set of templates and tools for creating covers, branding posts, including the development of animated content. There are free and paid solutions.

Pablo from buffer.com

It is perfect for creating “picture + text.” post format. You can work with your images or use the built-in photo bank. There are tools to add logos and graphics. The result can be downloaded for free in sizes adapted for the selected social network.

Creative Commons Search

It is a search engine for content distributed for free under a special license. When downloading, pay attention to the licensing conditions (mentioning the author, the possibility of commercial use, etc.). You can search for images, photos, videos, and even music.

Conclusion

Social media branding is a process that allows you to create company profiles with unique visual content. This is an opportunity to stand out from competitors and attract an audience. To brand a profile, you need to work on the key elements of the page: from the main photo to the style of the content.