How to Brand Your Social Media Profiles and Maintain Brand Consistency

Social media is a great way to connect with your fans but also get noticed by potential sponsors. Whether you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or all of the above, there is no denying that social media is a perfect opportunity to get your fans excited about the upcoming match, tell them about exclusive new swag in your store or show sponsors all the opportunities to work with you.

But, with so many platforms at your disposal and the fact that there are thousands of other sports teams out there, it can be difficult to stand out. So what can you do to set your team apart on social media? By maintaining brand consistency and branding your social media profiles.

In this post, we’ll discuss the importance of brand consistency and show you how to maintain it by branding your social media profiles.

Why Brand Consistency Matters

Anyone who has an online presence nowadays has a brand and can benefit from establishing brand consistency. Here are the most important reasons why you should maintain brand consistency across your social media profiles:

• Establishing brand consistency gives your team a unique personality that your fans can relate to and are more inclined to root for
• Your team will easily set itself apart from another one practicing the same sport
• You create a memorable feeling and experience that your fans will associate with you, your products, and the sport you play

How to Brand Your Social Media Profiles for Brand Consistency

Brand consistency involves more than having your team logo on all marketing materials and using your team colors. On top of the logo and colors, your promotional messages need to convey the same feeling by using a recognizable tone of voice, profile look, and feel. Here are 6 tips that will help you achieve brand consistency.

1. Use Team Logo as Profile Image

Use the team logo on each and every social media profile you have. If you look at the big-name sports teams, you’ll see that all of them use their team logo as the profile picture. This is one of the best ways to establish brand consistency and awareness because everything you say and do on either social media profile will be accompanied by your logo.

Take a look at New York Jets’ social media profiles. As you can see from the screenshot below, their Twitter profile uses their team logo as a profile photo. Follow the links to their Instagram profile and Facebook page and you’ll find the same logo used as a profile photo.

2. Use the Same Image for Your Cover Photo

Another great way to maintain brand consistency the easy way is to use the same cover photo on each social media network. You can showcase a larger photo of your logo or even better, use a group photo of your team to create a more personal connection.

You can also use a photo from an important match that shows your team in action or change the cover image to celebrate important events and holidays.

A great example of a consistent cover photo comes from the LA Lakers. The screenshot below shows their Facebook page cover but if you visit their Twitter profile, you’ll be greeted by the very same cover image.

3. Make Sure Your Social Media Handle Is Consistent

Using the same handle on each social media channel makes it impossible for your fans to confuse you with someone else. But, sometimes using the same handle is not possible because someone else already claimed it. That’s why it’s crucial to claim your social media handle even on platforms you’re currently not using. Create your profile and claim the handle just in case you want to get active on that network someday in the future.

If your handle is taken, consider adding your location to it. You can add your state, city or even country but do make sure to update other social media profiles to avoid confusion and maintain consistency.

4. Maintain The Same Brand Voice

Your social media posts should reflect your brand’s personality. That means you will need to develop a unique social media voice for your sports team and make sure it is the same across all channels and updates.

For example, if your team promotes an upbeat and energetic atmosphere full of encouragement, then your voice on social media needs to be energetic.

You also need to take into consideration your audience so that you can connect with your fans and make them feel a part of your team’s culture. Consider the language they might use, including jargon and references that are important to them.

Once you have a recognizable social media voice, be sure it’s authentic and resonates with your team spirit, otherwise, you run the risk of sounding fake.

Take cues from Reebok, a brand that excels at maintaining a consistent look and feel across all their social media profiles.

5. Use Team Colors As A Color Overlay on Your Social Media Photos

Posting status updates that feature moments from a game, training session or trip are easily recognizable in anyone’s feed because they will contain a part of your brand. But what happens when you want to share something that doesn’t portray your team such as a quote you think your fans would appreciate or if you want to announce a new item in your store?

Consider using your team colors as a color overlay on your social media photos. You can use a single color or create a duotone gradient which is all the rage nowadays to create a unique visual style and set yourself apart from other teams.

6. Create Social Media Templates For A Consistent Look

Our last tip is to create social media templates for each platform. Using a tool like Canva, you can easily add your logo, main colors, and even the fonts you want to use with your brand.

You can add those elements to a social media graphic and save it as a template. Then, every time you need to create a post for Facebook or Twitter and want to include a branded image, copy the template and change out the photo and the text. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your fonts, colors, and designs will always have a consistent look.

Stand Out on Social Media by Maintaining Brand Consistency

Establishing brand consistency on your social media profiles will allow you to stand out and connect with your fans as well as get better results from your marketing. But first, you have to establish brand consistency on your website. Take advantage of SportsPress’ tools to brand your website and then use the tips above to help you brand your social media profiles. Also, make sure to grab the cheat sheet with these tips (+2 bonus tips) so you can keep it as a handy reminder.