Alright, we’ve tackled the importance of planning ahead, taking good photos, and writing solid captions. Now, let’s put it all together – with style.
We know that you’re thinking, “ladies, we always post with style,” but we’re not talking about finesse – though that definitely helps. We’re talking about creating and sticking to your company’s own, personal house style.
If you’ve ever worked for a newspaper or magazine (which, surprise, we have) you know that they all have their own style guides. This ensures that no matter who creates content and when everything has the same cohesive look.
This includes words to use, words not to use, and proper spelling and capitalization of words. Plus, the types of pictures to take, editing techniques to use, and even content themes.
When you stay true to your house style, all of your content will look and read like it belongs together. Trust us, this will make your brand stronger.
Ready to create your own house style? Here are a few things you need to include:
Photo from Instagram @foundersoriginal
1) CAPTION AND PHOTO THEMES
Choosing themes for your photos and captions help you focus on what’s important to your brand and content your audience likes to engage with. Themes can provide inspiration on a day when you feel like your creativity is lagging and they also help give your social media profiles a sense of unity.
See it in action: Check out Founder’s Original on Instagram. Their photos are beautiful and you can see themes like travel and drink ingredients carry throughout their posts. They also get bonus points for finding a color palette that works well for their brand and sticking to it.
Photo from Instagram @buffalocal716
2) A HASHTAG STRATEGY
Using hashtags is a solid marketing tactic, if you use them right. Start by finding a branded hashtag or two that you can use in all of your posts. Then create a list of other hashtags that go with your different themes. Whether you choose to post the hashtags in the caption or the first comment on Instagram, pick a style and be consistent. When it comes to Facebook, just skip hashtags altogether.
See it in action: Buffalocal has their Instagram hashtag strategy down. They use their branded #Buffalocal hashtag and then use other relevant hashtags. What’s even better is that they’re consistent with the way that they post them.
Photo from Instagram @bootlegbucha
3) AN ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY
When people comment on your posts, are you responding? When they DM you, do you see the message? Don’t just walk away from your social media after you publish a post, be present and interact with your followers. It’ll make them happy, and this is how you use the algorithm to your advantage.
See it in action: Bootleg Bucha consistently interacts with their followers. And guess what? This makes followers want to comment more! If you’re looking to boost engagement, then add some engagement guidelines to your social media strategy.
WAIT…THERE’S MORE
These 3 steps are important, but there’s much more that goes into creating a social media style guide. Speaking from experience, these guides are in-depth documents. And yes, they take time to create, but it’s a resource for your entire team. Once you have a style guide for your brand, your digital presence will look more consistent and cohesive. Believe us, the end result is worth it.
Interested? Send us an email for extra tips and tricks. If you’d rather save yourself some time, we can create a custom social media style guide for your brand.