Instagram: Why Instagram Branding Matters
What’s the one thing you visualize when you think about your favorite brands? Maybe it’s the colors they use, the way their logo looks, or the feeling you get when you see their products. Do you remember when Starbucks, Amazon or Google changed their iconic logos – we all noticed and there was a media frenzy.
While your brand may not be as big as Google, Instagram presents a unique opportunity for you to visually connect with potential customers visually.
Brands use visuals because they work:
- Information in images is retained by 65% of people, compared to only 10% remember what they heard 3 days later – StratGrow
- People watched 12.2 billion minutes of videos in 2021 – 23,211 years worth of content – HubSpot
- Instagram is the 7th most visited website in the world – and the 4th most-used social platform (after Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp
But how do you strengthen your Instagram branding? First, we need to really understand what is branding, and why it matters so much on Instagram.
What Is Branding?
Branding is not just a logo or color scheme. Instead, it’s the totality of how a company presents itself to the world. Branding is the unique way your business or organization presents itself to the public in a way that is both distinctive and memorable.
And in today’s social media and visuals-driven climate, Instagram branding is important to your brand, whether you’re a nonprofit, author, entrepreneur, small business owner or service provider.
6 Tips to Improve Your Instagram Branding:
- The Same Edit Style On Photos and Graphics
When people see your photos, videos, and graphics, you want them to think of your brand instantly. A step toward achieving your signature style is using the same editing style across all your visuals.
- First, you need a quality image or video. Your images are critical to the success of your Instagram campaign.
- Then, you need to choose your “look.” This could mean using the same color palette and filters, using close-ups or tightly cropped images, or adding minimal or extensive captions. Your images should stick to a similar design aesthetic to create a cohesive look for your brand that people will start recognizing.
- Colors
Research shows that 85% of consumers believe color is the biggest motivator when choosing a particular product. The colors you incorporate in your branding can say a lot about your business. For example, if you’re a fun and energetic brand, you might want to use brighter colors like yellow or orange. On the other hand, if you’re a more serious or luxury brand, you might want to focus more on darker colors like black or navy.No matter your chosen colors, ensure they’re consistent in Instagram and across all your branding materials, including your website, social media accounts, business cards, etc.
- Font
Choose a font that highlights the personality of your brand.
- If you’re a fun and quirky brand, you might want to use a playful font like Comic Sans or Papyrus.
- If you’re a more serious brand, you might want to use a classic font like Times New Roman or Arial.
- Try to choose no more than 2-3 fonts on all of your branding materials, and be consistent in how you use them – headlines, hashtags, messages, etc.
- Style
When building a solid visual brand identity on Instagram, understanding your brand’s style is just as important as color and font. For example, if your brand is seen as modern and minimalistic, you might want to use clean lines and neutral colors in your graphics. On the other hand, if the goal is to create a more vintage or rustic brand, you might want to use distressed textures and warm colors.The key here is to find a style that represents your brand’s personality and run with it.
- Messaging
Do you have a trademarked slogan, hashtag or tagline? Your Instagram branding should also extend to your messaging on your Instagram. Whether you’re posting a graphic, a reel or a video, make sure your messaging in your post copy and on your visuals – your tone, your choice of words, your attitude – are consistent and speak to the audience you’re trying to reach. Your words say as much about your brand as your visuals.
- Consistency
Consistency is central to improving your Instagram branding. Consistency means using the same colors, fonts, style and messaging across all of your IG visuals and using the same filter or editing style on your photos and graphics.And most importantly, consistency means consistent, regular posting. If you want your Instagram to help you build your business, you need to post consistently. A sudden burst of creative energy and posting 5 brilliant images over 2 days – then nothing for the next 3 weeks – is not going to help you – and it could hurt your brand because people may see you as unreliable or unavailable.
It all comes back to the power of branding. The key is to create a consistent, cohesive look for your brand that people will start recognizing and want to follow to see what you’re up to. When people see your visuals, you want them to think of your business instantly – and want to learn more about you, buy your product, sign up for your offer or just give you a
! And the best way to make that happen is to be consistent with your Instagram branding and messaging so that people know who you are, and what you can offer them.
Instagram is a powerful marketing tool for businesses and nonprofits. One of the best ways to make the most of social media is to create a strong visual brand identity – and stick with it. With the tips above, you can ensure your Instagram branding is on point and help your business stand out from the crowd.
Branding Style Guide
Once you decide on all the branding elements for your Instagram visuals – and all your other social media platforms and online content – you should document them in a branding style guide. This way, anyone who designs your brand’s social media posts, your website or other materials will have easy access to ensure consistency
- color hex codes
- font sizes
- messaging voice and tone
- image styles
- posting schedule
and other decisions you’ve made to represent your brand.
Where Do You Get Your Instagram Inspiration?
Is there an Instagram feed you admire that inspires your own branding efforts? Design inspiration is a good thing – but don’t try to copy someone else’s feed. You need your IG to stand out from the competition and get seen, speak to the people you want to notice you and deliver your message to potential followers and buyers. You’re not just trying to build a pretty Instagram feed – you’re trying to build your brand and business!
Are You Ready to Give Your Instagram Feed a Refresh?
Sometimes you intuitively know your branding – and other times you need creative assistance to help identify your unique branding and messaging. Whether your IG feed needs a refresh or a whole new rebrand, give us a call at MasterWing Creative Agency to discuss your social media strategy and how we can help your brand get found, get seen and stand out on Instagram – and everywhere else!