Visit an Instagram page, Pinterest Profile or Facebook page then take note of the first thing you see. Does the bio speak to you or do the images grab your attention? First impressions are KEY when people find your profiles. In a matter of seconds, people will leave if they aren’t absolutely in love with what they see.
Persona
Your persona in the digital world consists of everything that your brand encapsulates (or strives to) – voice, color theme, consistency, and all. On social media platforms, everything should align with your brand. Never get off track! Consider how you want to be perceived, create content that contributes to that idea, tailored to each platform. Your brand must be consistent across every outlet, including in press, at events, and most importantly today, social media.
Your potential client must be able to connect your business from platform to platform, but yes, what you post on Facebook should be different from Houzz. When you make a post, you want your audience to know it’s coming from you, even before seeing your name or logo. People need to identify who you are as a designer or firm. Give your brand a personality people will recognize!
What Differentiates You?
When creating this persona, think of what is important to you as a designer and all the things that make you stand out. This is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Always communicate how you are different, this will pull people in. You’ll make yourself memorable when you set yourself apart!
Play the Algorithm Game
If you’re not posting regularly, it’s time to change that. As you may hear from time to time, the Instagram algorithms change. If you’re not posting at peak hours, no one will see your photos, no one will give you likes, and you’ll be at the bottom of everyone’s feed… therefore probably not getting any reach. If people aren’t liking your photos, they will be less likely to see your photos in the future, even if you are posting at a popular time. So, post on peak days, at peak hours, and stay consistent.
Depending on the size and newness of your company, you’ll need to adjust your posting accordingly. For more established companies, it’s alright to post more sparingly – but consider maintaining a steady presence to keep your audience on the edge of their seat and updated on what you’re doing. Smaller and newer businesses benefit from posting more and promoting. By promoting you expose yourself to a greater reach, and at a higher frequency you’ll boost public perceptions, making your name stick in people’s minds.
Consider using apps such as Schedugram or Later to plan and automate posting to Instagram. If you don’t use the Instagram draft feature, these tools can help to visualize your content and maintain consistency.
The Grid
Make sure to be conscious of the posts and ultimate grid you are composing on Instagram and Pinterest. Do you have a color theme, standard style of shooting photos, or method to editing your posts? An acutely curated feed will show your attention to visual detail, which relates back to your work as a designer.
Communicate & Stay Connected with Your Followers
Keep clients and your greater audience in the know with what you’re up to, even if you are not looking for more projects. You may have all the business you’re looking for and want to stay small, but even so, it’s important to represent your brand in the digital world. Be sure to make your name stick!
Social media offers opportunities businesses can benefit from. Learn how to use it in the most efficient way, and take advantage of all the features. Your social media content represents who you are as a designer or firm, and you want people to stay around, so remember YOU need to stay around. No one will find you on their own if you’re not connecting correctly. Furthermore, you’ve got to give a reason for people to come back to you. Make your digital brand persona memorable – one to come back to.
