Creating consistent social media branding is crucial to developing a strong social media strategy. While that might sound like a tricky thing to do, I promise my little sparkle, it isn’t as hard as you think!  Let me break it down for you in 5 simple steps.

But first…

What is Social Media Branding and Why Does It Matter?

There is no greater compliment than when someone notices a piece of my work, or an image of mine before seeing the watermark or reading my name! Do you know why? Social media branding makes you recognizable, and having your work recognized is a great compliment… can I get an amen?

Social media branding is basically creating a cohesive aesthetic to our social media platforms.

You know exactly what I’m talking about.  As you scroll through Instagram or Facebook, you’re inundated with posts, articles, and videos.  Yet, every once in awhile, you stumble upon a photo or post from one of your favorite accounts.  You may not see their name, but you see their aesthetic.  And it makes an impression on your mind – right?  Well, we want to do the same thing for our photography businesses, right?!

Today, social media is noisier than ever. There are millions of Instagram accounts and thousands of photographers on Facebook.   And, the scary part?  They’re all vying for the same clients you’re hoping to book for your photography business. Which is why you need to stand out {instead of adding to the noise}. Not to mention, you want to regularly build your know-like-trust factor among potential clients… and social media branding is what’s going to do all those things for ya’!

So… now that you’re totally convinced, you need consistent social media branding across all your platforms… here’s how to do it!

5 Tips to Make Sure Your Social Media Accounts have Consistent Social Media Branding

Use Your Brand Colors

Whether it’s in your images, your text or your logo, you’ve got to pick 3-5 colors that will dominate your social media platforms. When you think Cyrissa, you probably think hot pink and sparkles… am I right? That’s an intentional strategy I’ve used for years. I want my Instagram, Facebook and Website to all scream the same thing… Cyrissa… and hot pink and glitter help do that for me. It’s totally become my trademark color and ties together my brand!

Consistently staying inside your color wheelhouse is going to bring consistency to your social media branding in a big way!  Right now, before you read on – I want you to pull up your own Instagram and Facebook newsfeeds.  Do you see your own brand colors ALL OVER THE PLACE???  Or is it a hodge-podge of different colors?  You want your accounts to feel like a magazine, so if that’s not happening – you’ve got your first course of action: be more consistent with your colors!

You want your social media to look & feel like a magazine!

Create Artwork with Similar Fonts

I get it…. fonts are fun.  Fonts are eye-candy.  Pretty fonts just make the world a better place…. but NOT if it confuses your social media branding!  This goes right along with using the same colors across your social media platforms. Choose 2-3 fonts or font families that you love and stick with them. Don’t get all crazy up in here every time you discover a new font. Eventually, people will begin to associate those fonts with you and sticking to just a few will tie those texted images together in a way that drips with your personality.

Be consistent with the layout and format of your images.

Photographers… how are you going to visually display images on your Instagram feed?  You can use the traditional squares, vertical images, horizontal images or a little bit of everything.  But be aware of how all of those different shapes display in your newsfeed.  When someone visits your account for the first time, your nine most recent photos are going to be displayed… so they had better look awesome together!  Choose a layout you like and stick with it. If you go with a combination of rectangle and square, build a consistent pattern.

I’ve, personally, been really working hard on my own Instagram account to be sure that my images are consistent.  If you scroll back to see what my account looked like a year ago, the newsfeed was fun…. but not consistent.  Go ahead and scroll – it’s kinda comical!  But now, after putting in the thought and time to define my brand, you can look at my recent photos and see a social media brand!  Can you see it?!

Ok, moving on…

Another big debate: are you watermarking your images?   If that’s your jam {and I totally think it should be}, watermark all of them in the same place. I’ve seen some photographers adding banners along the sides or bottom of their images, which feature their business name or website – this is another great interpretation of the traditional watermark.  It doesn’t exactly matter what you choose – as long as you choose what best represents you and your style, then stick with it friend!

Use Layflats Wisely

If you are going to use layflats {aka: those adorable deskies we all crush on in our Instagram newsfeeds} make sure they are yours {or you’ve purchased them}, they fit your colors, and they use some of the same elements with each set. I like to take an hour about once a month to shoot some I can use for the month. I keep my colors consistent, use similar pieces each time I shoot, and then use the same fonts when I post. If you use layflats, be sure to use them consistently between other images. Don’t post 4 in a row, then nada for three weeks. Spread them out evenly across your posts, no more than a few times per week.

A really fun way that I’ve decided to integrate layflats into my social media branding is by grabbing myself a subscription to a “Confetti of the Month Club!”  Yes…. you heard that right.  There really is such a glorious thing as a confetti delivery!  My friend, Jessica, from the Confetti bar not only makes custom confetti {yes – you can have her turn your logo or business name into confetti}, but she sends out boxes of confetti joy each and every month!  In fact, all the images that you’re seeing in this post are featuring some of this month’s delivery!

Want your own Confetti of the Month subscription or custom Confetti for your client goodie bags?!  Head on over to the Confetti Bar to get hooked up!
Plus, you can save 15% off any custom confetti order with coupon code “ilovesparkle”!

Stay Consistent With Your Language

Don’t try to sound like everyone else. You have a unique way of talking, and that should come across in everything you post. I like sparkles, unicorns and calling everyone my friend. That’s me online, and that’s me in real life. So, when I write something for social media, I use the same kind of language.  Write out a few words that are your go-to words and use them consistently in your social media posts. Don’t worry about adjusting your language to a certain group… just be you. Write your posts using language that allows your sparkly uniqueness to shine through!

Building consistent social media branding is truly going to set you apart in today’s noisy online market.

Your branding should always authentically represent you, so intentionally think through your colors, fonts, and language… and choose what you love.  Don’t try to be something you’re not.  Let your voice shine through, hustle with heart, and your clients will find you – I promise!  Your personality and brand aesthetic will bring in the people who love you and what you have to offer. It will also turn some people off… which is totally okay, because the people you turn off aren’t your people!

So, have no fear sparkles, build a consistent brand that represents you and get your shine on all over those social media platforms!

If you really enjoyed this, then you will love my FREE social media freebies!  If you’re struggling to get authentic engagement on your social media accounts, are a little unsure how to use Instagram, and need help finding the confidence to let your soul shine…. girl.  I got you.  Grab your seat in my social media training series {yup – it’s free-ninety-nine}, and let me help you sparkle and shine online!!!