Today, social media users want Unexpected shopping experience – New brands and ideas appear on their feeds, like shriveled wizards in RPGs. In this world, your social media profiles are your showcase. How you dress is important.
If you are an individual entrepreneur or an influencer, social media is likely to be one of the first touch points your audience establishes with your brand, and it will be your key to expanding your reach to new audiences in the future.
Of course, when you’re running a one-person company, time is in short supply. If you were to choose between working for a client and working for your business, I think you would choose the former. Building a social following from scratch can seem daunting, especially for someone without design skills or social media expertise.
shh…
Get weekly startup insights from TNW founder Boris
So how do you build a social branding strategy that grabs the right attention without turning into a full-time job?
We interviewed a successful entrepreneur and two design experts Vision creationa graphic design platform for small business owners.
Social media is your new resume – make time for it
Get used to playing in intimate gatherings with friends and cozy little cafes, singer-songwriter Samuel Andrick Always been told he had the talent to shine in the music world. But even with an amazing voice and soulful songs, how could he break into a scene where connections and networking are everything?
Whether you’re a musician with a pipeline, a future entrepreneurial founder, a fitness guru, or an extremely talented custom pinata maker, you need an audience to finally quit your day job and pursue your passion.
“I put a lot of effort into making my brand cohesive. Because of that, people reach out to me on Instagram for advice,” says Andryk. He now works part-time as a brand coach, helping other individual entrepreneurs start their businesses.
Your audience won’t wait for you to send them your resume before deciding if they like you. They will snoop on your social activities. So you better make it worth their time.
“I even use my Instagram profile When I meet people in person. It’s like a digital business card,” Andryk said.
You don’t have to be a designer
Perhaps my biggest surprise when talking to Andryk was that he started with little design skills and little social media experience (apart from his personal account). Instead, he turned to free design programs designed to help individual entrepreneurs, influencers and young startups create high-quality visuals.
Reflecting on Changes in Social Media Design, Design Expert at Kateryna Larina Vista CreationA free graphic design software for design newbies, it states: “Visual effects are more sophisticated these days, including trends such as minimalism, 3D shapes, and more recently, animation.”
Know how you want people to feel.
But thanks to easy-to-use software and plenty of ready-made templates to choose from, creating a compelling social brand has never been easier. This provides space for individual entrepreneurs to play, experiment and develop their own unique brand identity. With so much room for creativity, the key things Larina wants you to keep in mind are:
Featuring well-thought-out, balanced compositions, color palettes that reflect your main ideas, high-quality photos and videos, and eye-catching, fun typography. This is magic sauce.
do real
When asked about the biggest design trends, Larina said:
One trend that is gaining momentum is the Y2K aesthetic. However, if you are looking for a trend, this is not the best option. The Y2K design trend is huge and will always be there, which is why it’s worth looking into, but redesigning your visuals to fit the early ’00s aesthetic may not be right for your brand.
Source: You can find this template in VistaCreate.
A notable similar trend is “fashion magazines”. This is a more general trend that will likely evolve and evolve over time.It gives you more space to express yourself and maintain your brand identity at all times Follow the fashion trendYou can also choose from a variety of different elements inherent in this trend, such as neon or pastel colors, funky shapes, playful fonts, combinations of objects and stickers, and contrasting colors.
Source: You can find this template in VistaCreate.
Gen Z users as Instagram faces give way to clean girl aesthetic demand higher authenticity from social media.
“Know how you want people to feel. For me, I want my Instagram to make people feel at home inside themselves. So everything I share is designed to create warmth, comfort and belonging,” Andryk said.
For him, that means neutrals and earth tones, as well as soft fabrics, lines and lighting (sunsets work well). At home or in nature, high-quality, intimate visuals shot with candles, friends, and teacups help evoke this atmosphere.
While this aesthetic has helped Andryk attract the right audience for his genre, if you’re a punk musician or extreme sports influencer, you’ll want to consider completely different design options. Andric says:
I think it’s important to realize that Instagram has a superficial component. The first thing you see when you scroll is the visual aspect, so make sure you have images that are visually appealing to the audience you want to reach. It’s all about finding an authentic way, while still following the rules of the platform.
Use design to grab the scrollbar’s attention
On social media, getting noticed is key. Remember, you only have a few seconds to impress before your post is sucked back into the blank of content.
Consistency goes beyond design.
“One trend that’s really standing out among leading brands and clients is experimental typography. You can make someone stop scrolling the feed, and unusual contrasting fonts really help grab attention,” says Sandra Iakovleva, content director at VistaCreate. “
“Knowing how to use typography and pairing different types of fonts is an art in itself. Bold fonts and experimental typography are ways to spark more interest in your design when visuals aren’t enough.”
While it may not be a flashy design trick, believe it or not, being consistent is what really helps you stand out. Yakovleva explained:
To best explain this, imagine the opposite – a social media feed that looks very random at first glance. If it’s a business, potential clients don’t remember any specific posts in the feed that try to play a “catch-all” strategy. Incoherence can lead to confusion about messaging and aesthetics, resulting in customers not knowing who you are or what you stand for.
Now, if we talk about a coherent profile (with your own branding) on social media, you stand out in the minds of potential consumers because you have your own brand, your personality, and your own tone. All of these elements are critical to the success of your social media if you are trying to reach a specific target audience.
Consistency goes beyond design. It’s what you post, what you say, and how you use visuals to represent your brand. Your unique aesthetic then becomes memorable, which can be a deciding factor for someone trying to decide whether to follow you and check out your products and/or services.
Create a policy you can manage
Have you set your sights on the future of influencers? Maybe you should test your eyes.
“When I first started, I thought it would be very easy to be an influencer,” admits Andryk.
I think you need to be a successful person, but really, you just need to publish branded content consistently.
Coming up with engaging content ideas takes quite a bit of effort. Andryk suggests narrowing down so you don’t get overwhelmed.
“One of the things I do with new Solopreneurs is help them design some content pillars. If you’re stuck and don’t know what to post, try this formula here:”
• 20% off promotional posts – what are you offering
• 20% Lifestyle Posts – Your Lifestyle
• 20% of your behind-the-scenes posts – things you do to run your business and/or take care of yourself that people don’t usually see
• 40% posts about your core values, beliefs, vision and mission
Remember: it’s not the quantity that counts, it’s the quality. It’s better to have a weekly post featuring your brand rather than a frivolous daily post.
