How to Create Branded Social Media Content

Author: Kaitlyn Partington Category: Branding, B2B, B2C, E-commerce & Retail, Marketing, Nonprofit, Social Media & Digital Date: February 16, 2017

Social media has come a long way from just text posts to links, photos, videos and now live-streaming. Some social media platforms are dedicated to a particular type of post – such as a photo or video with Instagram – while others offer the ability to post almost anything, such as Google+ and Facebook.

Did you know that when people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later.* (Source) Taking this information into account, it is not surprising that images and videos posted to social media are more engaging than text or link posts. That is why businesses are turning to images more often as a way to increase views and create more engagement.

If you’re fortunate enough to have one of your original content images go viral, how is someone to know that it is coming from you? Anyone can easily save it to their computer or phone and repost. Unless you are branding it with your logo and brand. Here are some tips on how you can create branded social media content.

What is Branded Content?

Branded content is content that is consistent with the visual design of your company. This includes your logo, color themes, and any visual graphics that make you who you are as a company. It is consistent with the look, feel and mood that your company portrays. If someone were to see an advertisement for your company, they may be able to recognize that it is an ad for your business before even looking at the logo or name.

How to Create Branded Content for Social Media

When you’re generating content for your social media campaigns, you want to be consistent with your messaging, your voice and your branding. If you are using images, you can elevate your social media campaigns by generating branded content for the campaign. Here are a few steps and key points to take into consideration while designing your branded social media content:

• Your logo should remain consistent across all images. The size and placement (and color scheme – as opposed to a black and white version) of your logo should be the same on all images. This is the easiest way to create branded content.
• Keep the same font. If we’re talking consistency, we’re talking about it across the board. Find a font that represents your brand and stick with it. Use it in all imagery. You could use a font that is the same as your logo or you could find one that corresponds to it.
• Use branded colors. If you’re creating a graphic, without a photograph, you’ll want to stay consistent with the colors in your logo, website, and any other branding you have created. If you use a specific filter on your imagery, keep it consistent. This is especially important if you are posting photos to an Instagram account. A consistent look is vital to successful engagement on Instagram.
• Pick photographs that fit your brand. What kind of personality does your company have? Write it out in paragraph form if you don’t already know. Pick imagery that depicts this type of personality. For example, if you are an accounting firm but you want to have a fresh, young, knowledgeable brand, then you’ll want to pick photographs that depict fresh, young and knowledgeable.
• If you sell products, be subtle in your product placement. Every now and then you can get away with a stock image of your product. But, not consistently. The best way to advertise your products on social media is by subtle product placement in lifestyle photographs. Keep the scenery consistent with your brand and personality.

By branding your content, you are creating a consistent look that is easily identifiable for consumers. Think back to all the times you could easily spot a Geico ad, a Pepsi commercial, or a Nike ad. There is a reason that these are extremely identifiable brands around the country. If you have any questions about designing your social media content, please feel free to give us a call. Not sure what kind of content you should be posting to your accounts? Download our Social Media Calendar tool today for an easy way to get started.