Whether you are a seasoned pro or just starting your organization, social media must be one of your vital focus points in your marketing plan. With more than 600 million daily active Facebook users and over 645 million registered Twitter users, it will be a strategic miss for those companies looking for greater exposure if they have not yet created their social profiles. But which social profile will you create for your business? While Facebook and Twitter are sharing the limelight, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr or Reddit are not too far behind. Whichever social media page you create first, your motto should invariably be to stand out from the rest.
Here are a few tips that you should keep in mind when designing your social media page to make it one of the best:
Integrated marketing communications:
Based on the traditional marketing theories, businesses adopt an integrated approach to promote their messages across channels. The same strategy works even when you are trying to promote your organization in the virtual world. You have to convey a consistent message to your online viewers as well.
Social media pages usually consist of a cover or banner image, profile picture and occasionally a background. The company logo is displayed as the profile picture. Various types of images can be represented in cover, banner and the background. However, the images you select for the cover or the background must express to the viewers the kind of services your business provides or the products you sell.
It is a good idea to maintain a consistent design theme across all your social pages and your website. Such an approach will strengthen your brand identity and improve its recognition. However, that does not mean you cannot change images or designs within your social media pages.
In fact, to keep things fresh and fascinating for the target audiences you have to work on the designs and update your photos from time to time. While making these changes, be mindful if the design is compatible with the company's marketing strategies, clearly demonstrates the services your business provides and serves the purpose of a strong "call to action" if the page is for promotion.
Virgin Mobile does an exceptional job in the matter of reflecting their brand uniformity in various social media pages. They adhere to the same color palette that is also evident in their company's website, store signage, television advertisements and other promotional materials.
Stay consistent with colors, and use similar font styles and design patterns to be reflected across all platforms. In fact, you can create a specific template that can be used on any social media page.
Make your social media page appealing and engaging:
The human brain can process an image in as little as 13 milliseconds. Relatively it takes much longer time to process plain texts. Humans have limited attention spans and typically can only take in little information blocks at one time. We seem to absorb and retain information more effectively when there are both texts and images on a page when presented in separate paragraphs.
Image based content tends to also generates many re-tweets. It is also observed that "how to" and list-based articles are re-tweeted more often than any other simple, text based content. There was a rule that a Facebook cover image cannot contain more than 20% of texts. Though, the rule is no longer effective it is best to make your banner, image based.
There are various ways to grab the attention of your audiences and increase their involvement with your social profiles. Use descriptive hashtags to engage your fans in interesting conversations. However, the message you circulate prefixed with the symbol # must relate to your business or campaigns. Make it easier for visitors to share your content wherever and however they like by including multiple social share buttons.
You can promote your company events online, announce deals and offers. When you are promoting your company's events online, include registration links that are easy to locate.
Adhere to the platform's rule:
Every social media page has a recommended list for file dimensions on background, profile pictures and cover images. You need to stick to that norm so that the images are not out of focus or too small. There are certain other guidelines to abide by while designing a social media page for your business. Normally, use of nudity, obscene, celebrities, copyrighted and threatening images for either the cover photo or the profile picture is strictly forbidden.
Each site has enforced these terms in different ways, but if you violate them your account can be suspended or even worst can be terminated.
At last, optimize your social presence:
Though, almost all businesses accept the importance of social media presence, not all of them can use it effectively. It takes more than just maintaining a social presence. Think when all the brands have social presence, why should an online user go through your page? Random tactics do not work with social media.
Other than these few simple steps, ensure that your profiles and bios on your social media accounts are complete and include the company logo, your main website URL and concise description of your business. Notify your brand loyalists about a new social media endeavor through your existing social profile. Just include an easy to find link of other social network in your profile. If you are a blogger, set up a Google+ authorship. Information tied to verified online profiles will appear at the top of the search results.
The mantra behind maintaining a social media presence is to build up relationships with audiences. For that, play around with ideas and implement concepts that will let you connect to your customers in the best possible ways and to gain their trusts.