We create social media templates designed to showcase your brand and drive engagement across social media channels, including LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
Our templates are visually beautiful, flexibly coded and creatively robust. Working across multiple social media channels, we will help your content shine.
Selecting your brand’s social media channel can significantly assist any business. When configured correctly, social media channels work in real-time, directly connecting brands with their audiences while removing many of the traditional barriers to advertising. When used correctly, social media can be a tremendous brand-building tool and an interactive customer service channel.
When we talk about ‘social media,’ we often refer to the broader ecosystem of channels—not any single platform. Channel refers to the stream of data flowing from creators to followers, a common characteristic of almost all social media platforms.
If you were born after the millennium, you can be forgiven for assuming that social media has existed forever. It permeates almost all sections of society in one shape or form; however, most of these channels have only existed for around 25 years.
It all began when simple online communities and groups started to form. This process began in the late 1990s when the internet became more accessible — and their communities can be credited as the birthplace of social media. Online forums such as MSN and Yahoo chatrooms allowed users to share ideas about various topics — information largely unavailable through mainstream media. As closed communities began to form en masse, it quickly became apparent there were opportunities to standardise the technology behind them.
From there, many early social media platforms, such as MySpace and Facebook, emerged, allowing people to create accounts and connect privately with their friends. The ability for users to build profiles within these social networks was a critical change as it allowed brands, especially those working in the entertainment sector, to engage directly with customers.
These early channels were limited in their use as they each required a computer and internet connection. As technology and user behaviour evolved, so did the multitude of social media channels. Mobile phones were the next step in this evolution, acting as a catalyst for social media adoption by providing users with greater access to these channels. This was a critical moment for early adopters of ‘branded channels’, as they now could connect directly with their audiences (and vice versa), regardless of time, location or age.
Today, there are hundreds of social media channels, each with its audience, behavioural traits and media type. For example, Instagram and Pinterest are popular tools for highly visual brands, while TikTok and Snapchat are more appropriate for brands aimed at younger users. The type of content used on each platform should be tailored as the days of ‘one-size fits all’ social media are long gone. While campaigns can be channel-neutral, we advise brands to select their channels carefully and take time to create appropriate content.
A wide range of social media channels are available, each specialising in a different type of content. A brand’s approach to social media will depend on the audience it is trying to reach and its overall business goals. Branded social media channels such as Facebook for Business offer a wide range of data and marketing tools, which are handy for brands looking to run multiple campaigns.
As we discussed in our opening statement, some social media channels can also be helpful customer service tools. Channels like Instagram allow direct conversations (as well as public), meaning followers can interact directly with businesses. They are also valuable when publishing service updates. For example, many transport companies like Transport for London use Twitter to broadcast line closures, delays and suspensions. This effectively gets urgent content to interested parties quickly — often before a staff member can physically be there to share the same information.
Branded social media channels are also considered essential brand-building tools. Customers and clients may question a company’s credibility without an appropriate presence in this space. This also applies to businesses that have some channels but neglect to update them regularly. Our position is that having a minimal, carefully curated presence is better, as it allows users to find out more and potentially be signposted elsewhere (to a company website, for example).
Recent examples of social media design include Halley Stevensons, The Feather Company, Back Onside and Max McCance.
We understand that choosing between the various platforms can be difficult. To make this decision a little easier, we ask clients, ‘What are you looking to achieve?’ This may translate to more sales, increasing brand exposure in a particular area, or creating a buzz around a new product launch. Another standard answer is to generate more leads, which is particularly important for businesses looking to sell a service.
We recommend carefully considering each brand’s ideal customer types, behaviours, and interests. While these audience profiles can vary greatly, it is essential to remember that for every niche group or demographic, there are probably two or three channels ideally suited to serve that audience.
Target audience identification can be as simple as drawing down data from a website or looking at customer analytics; however, we recommend that some qualitative market research be undertaken to ensure this gives an honest view. Similarly, it can be easy to wrongly assume a target behaves in a certain way and will resonate with a specific channel. User behaviours evolve and change constantly, and channels quickly fall in and out of popularity. To stay ahead of this, we again recommend that appropriate user research is considered before investing time and money into building a channel.
Brand alignment is also essential. While every business has a right to launch a channel, it is always worth considering how a platform might align with your brand, its values and content. For example, if a business in financial services decided to invest time and money in a TikTok channel, it would likely need to serve a particular purpose — even if a good portion of your target audience is already there. This can also be of enormous benefit, of course. Social media can be a powerful tool in changing perceptions of a business… but we recommend treading carefully.
As mentioned above, every channel has its strengths and weaknesses, including the type of content it handles. As a UK-based business, we tend to specialise in the platforms with the most significant impact on UK, European, and North American brands. These include:
Perhaps the most well-known social media channel, Facebook, is the second-largest company globally, boasting over two billion monthly users. Many of these are businesses and brands, and many advertise on Facebook to target audiences with carefully tailored messages that can be highly targeted thanks to its powerful analytics engine. Facebook also owns social media channels such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. This means it can offer multiple cross-selling opportunities using the data collected from each platform.
Facebook is also valid for businesses as it allows the creation of a business page. This differs from a personal profile and contains all the abovementioned advertising options. In addition to industry-leading advertising (perhaps second only to Google), Facebook boasts a vast and diverse user base. This means it is a good solution for many businesses as a solid percentage of any target audience will be active on its platform.
With that in mind, we do have one caveat. User behaviour has changed hugely over the years. Facebook, being one of the original social media channels, had an incredibly active user base at one point; however, with the emergence of new channels like TikTok, Medium and Pinterest, it would be fair to say that engagement levels are much lower than before. This dilution has caused Facebook to be seen as a bit of a middle-ground between other platforms, a relatively safe space for brands, but not one that will push engagement to the levels of Instagram or Twitch. In addition to this, Facebook also has an ageing user base. Younger users are increasingly less likely to have an account, with only 58% of 12-17 year-olds using Facebook, compared to 88% in 2013.
Engagement aside, Facebook is still one of the best places for social listening. This is especially important for brands that want to track what consumers say about their company, products, or services.
We recommend that consumer-facing brands create a Facebook for Business account to aggregate content from their website and other, more specialist channels. We believe Facebook is most successfully used as a ‘catch-all’ hub where users can find anything social.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social media channel. In its form and function, it is similar to Facebook in that users will set up an account and follow company (and personal) accounts. LinkedIn is a good representation of professional networking, with over 774 million members spread across more than 200 countries.
We always recommend that clients create a LinkedIn profile. There are several reasons why this is helpful, but the main plus point is exposure. Most LinkedIn users are either business owners, professionals, or ambitious, progress-driven staff at some of the biggest companies in the world, so it can act as a catalyst for recruitment or as a source of new business.
LinkedIn is easy to use and also allows businesses to post articles. This reasonably new addition blurs the lines between long-form channels like Medium. Businesses can also measure engagement by keeping expert content, such as whitepapers, within their network. This also benefits brands, as you can see who directly responds to and engages with your content. We noticed a jump in article content in 2021 and predict this will continue in the following years.
We recommend that all brands and businesses create and engage with LinkedIn. This channel is suitable for any company or organisation. A branded LinkedIn channel is most successful when used to build leads and new suppliers and raise awareness within the business community.
With over one billion monthly users(!), Instagram is the number one social media channel for businesses looking to engage with their audience emotionally. Unlike Facebook and LinkedIn, Instagram primarily uses visual content like images and videos to communicate information, allowing text to play a secondary role. This keeps the content fast-paced, meaning users can scroll to content that interests them much faster than traditional networks. Instagram is also one of the first social media channels to focus almost entirely on mobile. By fully embracing mobile technology, Instagram is much simpler and has fewer complications associated with browser-based networks.
Live video streaming (Instagram Live) is also a key part of the platform — allowing brands and content creators to share live content quickly and easily. Brands like Nike or Adidas can hold Q&A sessions with users, do factory tours and broadcast product launches or influencer endorsements.
It is also possible to advertise and sell products on Instagram. Selling is a relatively new addition that has proved highly successful, particularly for luxury product brands. While this channel may be too simplistic for some brands, we recommend that brands creating visual content use Instagram. For example, many clients use Instagram as a visual diary of previous work. Companies working in the construction sector may show previous builds, furniture makers may show bespoke pieces and document their process, and textile manufacturers may share collaborations and innovations.
As a rule of thumb, Instagram users are younger than Facebook users and significantly younger than LinkedIn users. This means that products aimed at teenagers and young adults should strongly consider marketing their brands on Instagram. We believe a branded Instagram channel is most successful when fully embraced, using it to show how products are made and the final product.
As the second most popular social media channel after Facebook, Twitter is still a vital brand platform. Text content is the primary means of communication — taking many of its cues from the simplicity of early text messaging. ‘Tweets’ are limited to 140 characters, so branded content tends to be much shorter than other social networks. Conversations are organised into ‘threads’, which can be challenging to follow for anyone who is not directly involved in a discussion. However, this means that content moves quickly, keeping Twitter more up-to-date than other social media channels. Twitter boasts that news often breaks there first — well before mainstream news services can react.
This is why Twitter is still an important consideration today. This level of immediacy allows brands to respond on their terms before third parties can build up a narrative. It also makes Twitter a powerful tool for customer service teams. Consumers regularly go to Twitter to resolve a dispute, as it offers transparency that private messaging or phone calls cannot achieve.
Like Facebook, many businesses use Twitter to aggregate content from other channels. Its link-building mechanic helps brands circulate content, including long-form texts and media-rich posts.
The average age of Twitter users is slightly higher than that of Instagram and roughly the same as that of Facebook. However, Twitter’s users tend to be very active, making it a good space for committed brands to operate. If you have questions about how much time can be spent managing a Twitter channel, we recommend avoiding Twitter altogether. We believe a successful Twitter channel will invest time and energy into day-to-day management while sharing original content.
Most businesses aren’t familiar with Twitch, a relatively new addition to social media, but it is certainly a platform worth considering. Twitch’s popularity has grown exponentially, particularly among younger users. Focusing on gamers, musicians, and digital content creators, it boasts a wide range of industry-leading streaming services for various interests.
Twitch is such a new platform, so businesses are still developing ways to engage with this audience. However, the best current method is through influencer and content marketing. Twitch describes its advertising model as ‘The ultimate influencer marketing-based platform,’ with 62% of viewers engaging daily with esports and gaming personalities. It also claims that 64% of its viewers purchase products directly recommended by content creators. This makes Twitch an interesting proposition for product-producing brands, particularly ones already operating digitally.
We recommend that digital-first brands consider opening a Twitch channel, especially those that create digitally streamable content. A successful Twitch channel should feel genuine and fun—this is not a platform for ‘hard selling’.
Like Twitch, TikTok is a relatively new social media platform. It is a great social media channel for brands to connect with younger consumers emotionally through a unique take on video content. It is structured similarly to Instagram and Snapchat. However, it uses 15-second videos of original content.
While TikTok might not be the best social media channel for brands looking to promote their products or services, it can be an invaluable tool for promoting brand awareness. Due to its unique approach to video content, TikTok has managed to captivate millennials, unlike any other platform, which can often lead to increased conversions in the long run.
We recommend that content-creating brands consider opening a TikTok channel to share ‘viral’ moments and show their people, products, and services in a fun, light-hearted way. We consider a successful TikTok channel to focus on engaging content that will build brand perception — this should not be used to directly push sales as it will not resonate with most users.
Recently described as the ‘most popular social media channel among millennials,’ Snapchat is another social media channel that uses short video content. However, the videos last a maximum of ten seconds. Snapchat is also unique because it uses stories to create narrative arcs and re-shareable content instead of individual posts.
Brands often struggle to stand out on Snapchat, as users are very privacy-conscious. As with Twitch, the best way around this is to invest in influencer and content marketing—however, this should be done with care and caution.
We recommend that brands consider opening a Snapchat channel if they produce unique, shareable video content. However, we do not recommend using the social media platform for event promotion or product-pushing, as users will quickly lose interest.
YouTube is a video-sharing social media channel that allows brands to connect with a wide range of users. Many businesses use YouTube as an alternative to traditional blogging, recording their content while demonstrating their product or service USPs. YouTube is also valid for companies looking to share their knowledge with the world, as it allows them to create a branded channel to store their videos.
YGoogle directly owns YouTube, so it benefits from its search engine placement. This means original YouTube content can be easily found online, which significantly benefits brands looking to build their profiles or generate sales leads. Like Snapchat and Instagram, uploads can form part of a series, particularly useful for users looking to learn about a subject.
We recommend that every brand consider opening a YouTube channel if they have the resources to create high-quality, original video content. A good YouTube channel is one where a brand creates genuine connections with viewers while educating them on its products.
Much like YouTube, Vimeo also specialises in long-form video content. The main difference between Vimeo and YouTube is their audience — YouTube caters to almost everyone, while Vimeo focuses much more on professional animators and filmmakers.
As a social media platform, Vimeo caters to a more niche user base, making it difficult for brands to influence sales directly. However, it is an excellent platform for content marketing, particularly for media brands. VimeoIt also allows businesses to create a professional account with contact details, an indication of PRI, and other key information.
We recommend that companies interested in branded film create a Vimeo account. Vimeo is a great place to showcase your skills and generate new business leads.
WhatsApp is a media-rich messaging app that has become a social media channel. While this platform started as a replacement for text messaging, brands can now open a WhatsApp channel to share messaging content with their audiences. This is an excellent way for brands to speak with potential customers, triage support queries, and direct sales. Like Twitter, WhatsApp is also a good customer service platform for brands looking to create direct connections with users.
We recommend that businesses looking to speak directly with potential customers, other brands, or potential collaborators consider opening a branded WhatsApp channel. A successful WhatsApp channel will be appropriately resourced and managed and will pick up messages as and when they come in.
Once you have selected the relevant channels for your brand, a few considerations should be made. These include:
The first step in setting up a successful social media channel is to brand it. This means setting your brand colours (where possible), logo, description and URL. This may seem obvious, but contact details and easily accessed links to other online material are essential information to remember. When choosing background images and cover graphics, we recommend using a picture that can be cropped at different sizes. That is because laptops, tablets, and phones display images differently. For the same reason, we recommend not including text within the images, as this will become illegible.
Knowing your strengths is one of the most essential elements of building a social media channel. If a business is particularly insightful, it may be best to write long-form content on platforms such as Medium or Tumblr. Brands that produce a lot of visual content may look to focus on Instagram, Pinterest or Flickr. Subsequently, companies that need to react quickly and respond to things rapidly may be best placed to focus all of their efforts on Twitter and Facebook.
Giving structure to your content goes beyond the post itself. Most successful branded social media content is created ahead of time as part of a much larger ‘content plan’. This plan (also called a ‘social media strategy) will be a mixture of planned and responsive content and will likely revolve around key dates in the calendar, such as building towards product launches, trade shows, awards, competitions or other anticipated events. Building a strong social media plan is time-consuming. However, it does make the day-to-day production of content much more straightforward.
Another great source of content can be to dig into your archives. This can be old project work, long-form content written for other purposes or behind-the-scenes images that customers may find insightful. Our clients often have written industry-specific whitepapers or thought leadership pieces for journals or other professional publications. This content can form the base of a strong post, putting that knowledge in front of a new audience. While this may not immediately convert into a sale or a lead, it will build up an audience perception and cement your position as an authority on the subject.
It is also worth considering showing customers and interested parties how you work. This may mean shining a light on staff, processes or even some of the materials used daily. This helps an audience connect with a brand and can help to build strong relationships. For example, many printers use channels such as Instagram to share ‘in progress’ videos and photographs of print projects they are working on. This helps designers build their knowledge of how each process works while seeing the outcome at different stages of the journey.
Many brands like to celebrate their followers by showcasing their work. For businesses that work collaboratively, this can nurture existing relationships while encouraging new partners to come forward. For example, Halley Stevensons regularly share content featuring garments made using their fabrics. These posts are all created and finished by their clients — this helps to build their ecosystem while showing other users what can be made. Many printers within the design industry also use this technique, showcasing the design work of their clients to attract similar work.
Channel ownership is a critical part of any branded social media channel. While it may seem obvious, it is advised that someone be responsible for responding to messages, comments, and requests. A channel should never be launched and then left unattended. This is because messages and comments will go unacknowledged, leading to communication issues or, worse, the loss of a sale or customer.
It is also important to remember that social media channels are not a sprint — they are indeed a marathon. While we acknowledge this is a slight cliche, user behaviour indicates they are here to stay. It will take most brands a long time to build up a sizable following on any channel, so it is advised that a long-term view is taken in terms of content planning and how the account is run.
If your business would benefit from a fresh approach to branded social media or digital design, please get in touch. We will be happy to advise you on the best course of action. We recommend defining a strong brand identity to ensure all online materials are unique, consistent, and adequate.
It’s no secret that social media has become an essential part of the marketing landscape. In this article, we will explore social media content and how branded social media can help your brand stand out from the crowd. Continue reading to learn how your business can benefit from a programme of bespoke social media content planning and design.
Branded social media content is best described as information distributed across social networks such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. In these settings, ‘social media content’ ranges from blog and article posts to more visual mediums such as images, videos and infographics. With the adoption of these technologies now commonplace, many users exclusively rely on social networks to access information on news, products and services. This has presented two critical opportunities for brands:
With more time spent on platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram than ever, the demand for social media content has skyrocketed. To help satisfy this demand, many companies are now investing resources into their internal teams to create brand-specific social media content — a process known as ‘social media content planning’. This contrasts with the traditional model of outsourcing social media content creation, which has become increasingly difficult due to a greater emphasis on speed and flexibility.
While both options have pros and cons, we firmly believe that firm foundations should be built before creating content. That is because every great business needs a communication plan. For example, a good brand strategy will account for social media content and define the core target audiences and the type of content they will resonate with. Without this plan, it is almost impossible to create content that will connect with consumers or clients consistently.
In addition, we strongly recommend that a flexible brand identity system be created to help drive consistency through all materials. From the tone of voice and brand-writing tips to visual guidelines, brand identity guidelines should be robust enough to support content makers in doing their jobs effectively.
Recent examples of social media content include The Feather Company, The Scottish Football Association and ScotFoam.
Given the vast abundance of social media channels, many types of social media content exist. Some of the most common examples are:
Long-form content is the staple of social media content. No matter your business’s industry, you will likely need to create written social media content at some point. The types of information that can be included are still essentially the same as before the rise of social media (i.e. product descriptions, news stories and company updates). However, with more time spent on social networks, we have learned to be more succinct and visual with our messaging.
Another type of long-form social media content comes in an audio format. Electronic books, more commonly known as eBooks and podcasts, are great, accessible ways to share a message or story with your audience.
Visual assets have always been important for brands on social media. However, a social media content plan has become increasingly necessary. Images and infographics are extremely popular on social networks, particularly Instagram, where users can now upload up to 15 photos per post.
This social media content is often found on platforms like Pinterest and Instagram.
Social platforms like Facebook introduced the ability for brands to create videos with autoplay capabilities back in 2013. Since then, the demand for video content on social media has increased exponentially. Video can tell a story, promote a product, or entertain users. We believe that if the personalisation of the content is done right, it will resonate with audiences upon first viewing.
This kind of social media content is most commonly found on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram but is increasingly popular on LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Social proof remains one of the most influential ways to influence the sale of a product or service. Whether it’s an online review, Facebook testimonial or story, customer reviews are one-way social media content can prove its worth for brands. This kind of social media content can be found across all platforms.
Social platforms have become increasingly crucial in brand communication — particularly when launching new products and services. Announcement posts offer brands the chance to reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness.
This kind of social media content can be found across platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Social media contests are still one of the best ways for your business to gain exposure amongst an engaged target audience. Competitions allow you to not only promote engagement with your existing fans but can help attract new ones, too. This social media content is often found on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
