Branding on Instagram: A Complete Guide

You want to attract and maintain a loyal customer base, and that starts with branding. With branding, you’ll create a cohesive online presence that people associate with your business. This can help you build trust and loyalty and make sales. Branding is important on all channels, including Instagram. Your current account might be a bit of a mess, but it’s never too late to incorporate some branding strategies to help you get the results you want. With that in mind, check out some tips that will help you establish your brand on Instagram.

Get to Know Your Brand

You can’t establish your brand identity on Instagram until you know what that identity is. Once you know the identity, it will be easier to stick to your brand’s voice and vision when posting on Instagram and other networks.

You can develop your brand identity by determining its values, purpose, and target audience. Additionally, consider your value proposition and personality. All of these components should tie together to create your identity. Then you’ll keep this identity in mind every time you post on Instagram.

Choose Brand Colors

Since Instagram is a visual platform, the colors you choose will also go a long way in helping you solidify your brand identity on the app. Thus, you need to select a color palette to stick to when posting on the app. If you already have colors selected, you can move on to the next step. If not, you’ll need to do a little research to find the best colors for your company. Fortunately, there are tons of resources, including the Colours Café Instagram page (@colors.cafe). It regularly posts color palettes, including the color codes, so you can easily find and add them to your posts.

Edit Your Bio to Represent Your Brand Identity

Once you nail down your brand identity and color scheme, it’ll be time to optimize your bio. First, choose a username that represents your brand. It should also be easy to spell and remember so people can easily find your account.

Next, move down to the “Name” field. Unless you are part of a well-known brand such as Coca-Cola or Nike, you should include a keyword next to the name field. The keyword will help people find your account and help with branding. The keyword will become associated with your brand, which will help you build awareness on the app.

Your bio is also critical when branding on Instagram. Think about your brand identity when creating the bio and use the 150 characters to communicate what you offer and what sets you apart. Be sure to include a keyword or two in the bio to help people find your account.

Next, you need to upload a profile photo. If you are promoting a large company, you can use the logo. Otherwise, consider a professional headshot that represents your brand.

Finally, finish your profile by adding contact information and a link to your website. Unlike links in posts, bio links are clickable so that you can direct traffic to another location.

Use Branded Hashtags

You should include an assortment of hashtags when uploading content to Instagram. Right now, you likely use niche and content-specific hashtags, which are both important. Don’t stop there, though. Instead, add a branded hashtag to help you build awareness on the app.

You’ll need to choose a hashtag specifically for your business. Select something that people can easily associate with your brand, and make sure that no one else uses it. It should also be memorable and easy to spell, so people won’t make mistakes when uploading user-generated content.

Create a Cohesive Look

Next, you need to create a cohesive look when posting on Instagram. You can tie your posts together and stay on point from a branding perspective with the right visual strategy.

You have a bunch of options for this, from color blocking your feed to using the same or similar effects. You can even create patterns or divide your page into grids to make it more cohesive.

If you have trouble creating a cohesive look, use one of the tools available. For instance, a visual planner will allow you to play around with different layouts and find one that works. Then you can stick to that layout with your future posts as well.

Develop Content Themes

Creating a cohesive feed goes beyond color blocking and grids. Your topics should also be cohesive, so your content flows together and supports your branding efforts.

Successful brands usually choose between three and five themes for their Instagram posts. These themes might be product demos, educational content, testimonials, behind-the-scenes videos, and more. Think about what’s most important for your brand. Write the top topics and themes down and use them to guide your Instagram posting strategy.

Be Consistent

It takes some time to build awareness on Instagram, so you need to post consistently. That doesn’t mean you have to upload something each day, but you do need to have a consistent presence. If you can only commit to one post a week, upload it on the same day so people will come to expect it. Over time, you can add additional posts throughout the week as you become more comfortable with marketing on the platform.

Write Guidelines Out for Your Team

Branding on Instagram is often a team effort. While it’s great to have others participate, you need to ensure they’re on the same page. Thus, create an Instagram style and marketing guide for everyone to follow. Be sure to include everything in the guide, from the color scheme to your brand’s personality. You can even add sample posts to point people in the right direction.

Develop a Branding Strategy Today

These tips will help you develop a branding strategy you can use on Instagram. Additionally, consider buying real Instagram likes to help you succeed. Buying likes will increase engagement, meaning Instagram will expand your post’s reach. That, in turn, can help you build awareness and cement your brand’s position on Instagram.