Social Branding: Be an island of interest in a sea of social

Okay, hands up, how many of you have a branded Facebook or Twitter business page?

Social media is now a huge player in marketing for businesses. The amount of new users is on the rise all the time, so how is it that so many small business owners miss the importance of a branded profile?

I think a good guess would be the lack of knowledge and understanding about social media and how it affects and influences online marketing. Social media is still a new pastime for many and a large amount of business people fail to understand how it all works.

Facebook branding example

Click here to visit the clients facebook business page

It may also be the misconception that branding can be expensive for small businesses, but this is easy to dispel. Like myself, there are many designers offering affordable social branding and with a small investment, the impact can create a powerful message for a new visitor to your page. There can be many reasons behind visitor intentions, but having a branded page can only improve a persons perception of your business and give them a reason to contact you.

Twitter branding example

Click here to visit the clients twitter profile @TaxReturnGlos

For many businesses, the use of basic twitter backgrounds seems to be the norm, but the background images offered by twitter, have nothing that relates to your business branding. Believe it or not, people are already interested in or intrigued by your business if they choose to visit your twitter page and you should be doing all you can to impress them. Yes, content is king and engaging with your followers is vital, but as a business you need to be consistent and invest in a custom twitter background that reflects your identity and your message.

The next time your on facebook or twitter take a look at the businesses that you follow (or the ones that follow you) and see if any of these have taken the initiative to brand their pages. Then compare these to unbranded pages. I am sure that you will be convinced by the power of social branding and how it can engage, inform and inspire.

By Jason Conway: Creative Marketing Consultant and founder of IDEOSYNC Creative Marketing Solutions.