Consistent branding is key to success on Instagram. As an entrepreneur, you want to be sure that your brand is well-represented across all of your social media platforms. This includes making sure that your visual identity is cohesive and recognizable no matter where someone sees it. The process to create an impressive brand identity on Instagram is not as simple as you might think. You would have to create an effective strategy that can help you get desired results. Let us discuss an elaborate Instagram brand identity guide, following which you can promote your products or services and watch your business grow.
In this article, we’ll go over some examples of brand identity, driving brand consistency, and essential components to establishing a brand identity.
What is a Brand Identity?
A brand identity is the way a business presents itself to – and wants to be perceived by – the public. When you hear the term “branding,” this is what it refers to – the various elements that make up a company’s identity. It can be the logo, the colour palette used by the business and the tagline that defines the business and these are also the factors that help build a stronger brand identity on Instagram.
In the United States, a corporation is legally considered a person. And like any person, a corporation has certain characteristics that make it unique. This includes its name, logo, tagline, and so on.
Your company’s brand identity is how you visually represent these various characteristics to the public. It’s the first impression someone gets of your business, so it’s important to put some thought into it.
Creating a brand identity is more than just coming up with a logo, though. Strong brand identity takes into account everything from the company’s name and mission statement to its color palette and typography.
This might seem like a lot to consider, but don’t worry – we’ll go over all the essential components of brand identity below in our effective Instagram brand identity guide.
What are the 11 Elements of Brand Identity Design?
Creating a strong brand identity is essential for any business – big or small. Now that we’ve gone over some examples of brand identity, let’s take a more in-depth look at the 11 essential elements of brand identity design. Each element is grouped into artistic, functional, and communicative categories is your answer for how to create a brand identity on Instagram.
What are the 4 Main Components of Visual Brand Identity?
1. Logo
One of the most important aspects of a brand identity is its logo. A logo is a graphical representation of a company that is often used on its products, website, and marketing materials.
One well-known example of a logo is the Nike swoosh. This simple yet recognizable symbol has come to represent the company as a whole, and it appears on everything from Nike’s shoes to its advertisements.
Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It,” is another example of a brand identity element. This catchy phrase communicates the company’s mission of encouraging people to be active (both physically and mentally) and has become just as iconic as its logo.
2. Color Palette
Another important element of brand identity is color. Certain colors can evoke certain emotions, so it’s important to choose a color palette that is in line with the image you want to project. Even while planning to build an effective brand identity on Instagram, you have to ensure creating content that compliments the colour palette of your brand. It will create relatable which is a positive factor.
For example, UPS uses a brown and gold color scheme. This conveys trustworthiness and reliability – two qualities that are important for a company that specializes in shipping and delivery.
3. Typography
Typography is another important element of brand identity. The font you use on your website, products, and marketing materials should be easy to read and in line with the image you want to project.
For example, fashion brands often use script fonts that convey a sense of luxury and sophistication. On the other hand, tech startups often use sans-serif fonts that convey a sense of modernity and simplicity.
4. Visual Assets
Last but not least, your brand identity should include a set of visual assets, such as product photography, illustrations, and icons. These assets should be used consistently across all of your company’s marketing materials.
For example, the clothing brand Everlane is known for its clean and minimalistic product photography. This aesthetic conveys the company’s commitment to simplicity and its focus on quality over quantity.
What are the 2 Main Functional Components of Brand Identity?
1. Brand Guidelines
Your brand guidelines should be clear and concise. They should outline how you want your brand to be represented, and they should be followed by everyone who creates marketing materials or designs for your company.
2. Engagement with Target Audience
It’s important to remember that your brand identity is not static. It should evolve over time as your company grows and changes. And perhaps most importantly, it should be reflective of the needs and wants of your target audience.
The best way to ensure that your brand identity is aligned with your target audience is to engage with them directly. This can be done through market research, surveys, and focus groups.
What are the 5 Main Communicative Components of Brand Identity?
1. Brand Name & Purpose
Your brand name is one of the first things people will notice about your company, so it’s important to choose something that is memorable and easy to pronounce.
A name can convey a lot about a company – its values, mission, and even its personality. For example, the name “Toms” is short, simple, and easy to remember. It’s also very unique, which helps it stand out from other companies in the same industry.
Your brand name should be reflective of your company’s purpose. What are you trying to achieve? What do you want people to think of when they hear your name?
For example, the name “Tesla” evokes thoughts of innovation, luxury, and environmental consciousness. These are all qualities that are reflected in the company’s products and mission.
2. Brand Personality
Bringing us back to the human analogy, your brand should have its own personality. This means having a set of characteristics that make it unique and distinguish it from other brands in your industry.
For example, the clothing brand Betabrand is known for its quirky and humorous tone. This is reflected in its product names (“The Couch Potato Sweatshirt”) and marketing campaigns (“The world’s most comfortable pants”).
3. Tagline
A tagline is a short phrase that communicates the essence of your brand. As a slogan, it should be reflective of your company’s mission and values.
One well-known example of a tagline is Apple’s “Think different.” This simple yet powerful phrase communicates the company’s commitment to innovation and its belief that thinking outside the box is essential to success.
4. Tone of Voice
Your brand’s tone of voice should be consistent across all of your marketing materials. It should be reflective of your company’s values and the image you want to project.
For example, the clothing brand Everlane is known for its clean and minimalistic design. This aesthetic is reflected in its tone of voice, which is also clean and minimalistic.
5. Messaging
Your brand messaging should be clear, concise, and consistent. It should be reflective of your company’s values and the image you want to project.
For example, the clothing brand Everlane is known for its commitment to transparency. This value is reflected in its messaging, which is often direct and to the point.
Above all, it’s important to remember that consistency is key when it comes to brand identity. Your logo, colors, fonts, and visual assets should be used consistently across all of your company’s marketing materials. This will help create a cohesive and recognizable brand identity that will resonate with your target audience.
What are Brand Identity Traps?
A brand identity trap is a common pitfall that companies fall into when trying to create a cohesive and recognizable brand. You need to have awareness about these traps as many marketing firms would also sell you the plans to create strong Instagram brand identity which have many of these traps involved.
There are a few different traps that companies can fall into:
1. Not Defining Their Target Audience
One of the most common brand identity traps is not defining their target audience. Without a clear understanding of who they want to reach, companies will have a hard time crafting a message that resonates.
2. Trying to Be Everything to Everyone
Another common trap is trying to be everything to everyone. Companies will often try to appeal to too many different people, which can water down their message and make it less effective.
3. Over-Promising and Under-Delivering
One of the biggest brand identity traps is over-promising and under-delivering. This occurs when a company makes promises that it can’t keep or fails to deliver on its promises.
For example, a company might promise to provide the best customer service but then fail to live up to that promise. This can damage the company’s reputation and make it difficult to build trust with its target audience.
4. Not Staying True to Their Core Values
Another trap companies can fall into is not staying true to their core values. It’s important for companies to maintain a consistent message and stay true to their values. Otherwise, they risk appearing inauthentic and untrustworthy.
5. Not Evolving with the Times
Finally, companies can also fall into the trap of not evolving with the times. As the world changes, so do people’s needs and wants. Companies that don’t change with the times will quickly become outdated and risk losing relevance.
How to Avoid Brand Identity Traps
There are a few things companies can do to avoid brand identity traps:
1. Define Your Target Audience
The first step is to define your target audience. This will help you craft a message that resonates and avoids the trap of trying to be everything to everyone.
2. Stay True to Your Core Values
It’s also important to stay true to your core values. This will help you maintain a consistent message and avoid the trap of appearing inauthentic.
3. Be Willing to Evolve
Finally, it’s important to be willing to evolve with the times. The world is constantly changing, so it’s important for companies to change with it. This will help you avoid becoming outdated and irrelevant.
4. Review Your Materials Regularly
It’s also a good idea to review your materials regularly. This will help you catch any inconsistencies and ensure that your message is on-brand.
5. Get Feedback from Your Target Audience
Finally, it’s also helpful to get feedback from your target audience. This can help you understand how they perceive your brand and what you can do to improve.
The Importance of Brand Consistency
As you can see, brand identity is important for companies of all sizes. By avoiding brand identity traps and maintaining consistency, you can create a cohesive and recognizable brand identity that will resonate with your target audience.
But, now that we understand what brand consistency means and the elements involved, how do you drive brand consistency? It’s easier than you might think.
How Do You Drive Brand Consistency?
There are a few things you can do to drive brand consistency:
1. Define Your Brand Voice
The first step is to define your brand voice. This will help you maintain a consistent message across all of your marketing materials.
2. Create Brand Guidelines
Another important step is to create brand guidelines. These guidelines will help you maintain consistency in your branding.
3. Train Your Employees
It’s also important to train your employees on your brand guidelines. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and knows how to represent your brand consistently.
4. Monitor Your Branding
Finally, it’s also important to monitor your branding. This will help you catch any inconsistencies and make sure that your brand is being represented consistently. Speaking specifically about Instagram brand identity, you should keep checking the analytics provided by the platform to ensure you are on the right track to achieve your desired results.
Conclusion
Brand identity is important for companies of all sizes. By avoiding brand identity traps and maintaining consistency, you can create a cohesive and recognizable brand identity that will resonate with your target audience.
There are a few things you can do to drive brand consistency, such as defining your brand voice, creating brand guidelines, and monitoring your branding.
However, even with the best-laid plans, sometimes our efforts to maintain brand consistency can fall by the wayside. If this happens, don’t panic! Just take a step back and assess the situation. Then, make a plan to get back on track.
To help boost engagement and create a cohesive brand identity, consider using social media management tools like Skweezer, which can help you boost organic engagement and track your brand’s social media performance.
Why not give it a try today? Get free Instagram followers every day with Skweezer!