An online presence is essential for your brand to stay relevant and for you to connect with current or potential customers. It’s even more important to present your brand consistently across all online platforms, including your website, blogs, social media channels, and listings. This ensures customers aren’t confused by inconsistent branding or messaging and creates a more positive impression of your brand.
From messaging to design, it’s important to keep all elements of your brand identity consistent and easily recognizable. Download a free Adobe Illustrator template with all the file sizes you’ll need to create consistent online imagery!
Here are a few tips for building brand consistency online.
Brand Guidelines
The first step to successful branding is establishing the same voice across all of your marketing channels and assets. Brand guidelines are clearly defined standards that communicate how your brand should be presented to your audience. This includes the appropriate variations of your logo, taglines, color palette, fonts, imagery, design elements, and messaging. Brand guidelines lay a framework for accuracy and consistency. Consider the following when creating your guidelines:
Brand DNA: Establish a mission statement, core values, and pillars.
Voice: It’s not only about what you say, but how you say it.
Tone: Let your tone reflect your company's personality.
Vocabulary: Include words to use when talking about your business in all communications.
Design
Visual details and design should be the same in every piece of content you produce. You should create a logo, as it is a symbol of your brand identity, and develop a color palette to build instant recognition across all platforms. Consider the following for your brand design:
Logos: Master logos, secondary logos, icons
Color palette: Primary and secondary colors
Typography: Font styles, sizes, and spacing
Photography: A vivid way to portray your brand DNA
Website
Once you’ve set a solid foundation for your branding and design, carry it through to your digital channels starting with your website. Your website will likely be the first place your brand is introduced to consumers. You want to make a good first impression to build trust and encourage users to explore your product or services. Follow these best practices to design your website:
Maintain a user-friendly, modern, and clean design.
Utilize your color palette, fonts, and design elements.
Select imagery that represents who your target customer is.
Make your messages and calls to action clear and easy to follow.
Provide valuable content. Be thoughtful and intentional with the information you present to your audience.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engines, such as Google, look at content on and off your website to provide the user with answers to their search queries. On your website, you should create quality content with keywords, images, and links. Blogs are also a great place to post relevant content that gives you the opportunity to appear in search results. But brand consistency goes beyond your website, too. Maintain your brand standards on platforms such as Google Business, maps, review sites like Yelp, social media, and other listings sites.
Social Media
With a heavy focus on visuals, social media is a powerful tool for promoting your brand. In order to create a cohesive experience for consumers across online channels, make sure you tie your branding from your website into your social media imagery. There are tons of opportunities to visually show what your brand is all about, including profile pictures, cover photos, news feed images, stories, reels, videos, and more! Download a free Adobe Illustrator template with all the file sizes you’ll need to create consistent online imagery.
It’s important to remember that not every social media platform is right for promoting your brand. Know your target audience, what platforms they use, and what type of content they look for on those platforms. Facebook is a great platform for sharing updates, engaging with followers, and posting links to blogs and other content. Instagram is a popular platform for brands to promote their products visually with photos and videos. Tik Tok appeals to younger generations with quick, fun videos full of personality.
To fully integrate your online presence, maintain brand consistency across all of your digital channels. And don’t forget to link them all together! Link your social media platforms to your website, and link your website to your social media platforms to provide more ways for your audience to engage with you.
Need help with your online presence? Contact AlphaGraphics Pittsburgh today at 412.261.1300 or us514@alphagraphics.com