Social media is a powerful marketing tool. It is where people—your potential customers are the most active.
It comes as no surprise that companies and brands can effectively leverage the power of social media marketing for increased engagement and brand loyalty.
This is where the social media guide comes into play. It will help to set your business or your brand apart from your competitors and will make people sit up and take notice.
What Exactly Is a Social Media Style Guide?
Simply put, it is a blueprint for all your communications on social media. It is a specific set of rules which you would use as a springboard when writing all your posts and replying to customers.
- It needs to be consistent across all social media platforms.
- A social media style guide must have clarity, which comes from laying down clear and precise rules regarding the four basic components.
The Four Basic Components of A Social Media Style Guide
What do Target, Wendy’s, and Burger King have in common?
It is their communication on all social media platforms. Their social media style boasts all the right elements that turn these brands into a joy to engage with.
1. Brand Voice
How you engage with your customers on social media will be determined by your brand voice. Is your communication professional or courteous? Or is it funny and sarcastic?
Your brand voice must have a consistent persona, which should be reflected through your communication across all social media platforms.
2. Language Proficiency
Incorrect language can be a huge turn-off for some people. You must ensure that your social media posts are free of errors. Incorporating certain grammatical dos and don’ts, as well as exceptions with short forms and contractions, are necessary.
3. Hashtag Usage
From kickstarting a brand-new social media campaign to quickly jumping into a trending conversation, hashtags can do it all.
But when do you use hashtags? A social media style guide will contain all these important guidelines. This is a crucial aspect because not all hashtags work wonders across all social media platforms.
There is also the matter of how many hashtags to use. Here are some recommendations:
- Facebook – No hashtags.
- Instagram – Maximum 2 hashtags in the body of the post. Maximum of 10 hashtags in the first comment of the post if you want to push it.
- Twitter – Only one hashtag.
4. Emoji Usage
This is perhaps the most contentious aspect of building a social media style guide. Should you or should you not use emojis in your social media communications?
It depends on your brand voice.
If you are adopting a professional and formal tone, it would be best if you keep your emojis at bay. But if your voice is funny, sarcastic, or friendly, using emojis at the end of your posts will complement your brand voice. However, we do recommend that you keep it to a maximum of two.
If you need help creating a social media style guide for your business but are still unsure of how to start, contact Fat Guy Media to get started!
