Many branding guides and tips will mention the need for consistent branding. However, to the uninitiated, this might be a cause for uniform branding across the board. This is a mistake. 

Don’t know what I mean? A key example of this is cross-posting.

You can post the same content on both Instagram and Facebook. However, if you post the exact same visuals and caption, it reduces a person’s engagement with you. Why should they follow you on both platforms if you are posting the same thing? 

If you continue to cross-promote your content with the exact same visuals and messaging, it will ultimately lead to people unfollowing you.

Therefore, I make the case that what is needed is not uniform branding, but rather a consistent and cohesive omni-channel approach.

Uniformity vs consistency

Consistency is key to branding but this does not mean uniformity. You can post the same idea but tell it through a slightly different angle to maximise your potential. This enables you to deliver an effective and authentic connection with your audience.

Take cross-posting for example - there’s nothing wrong with posting the same content on both Instagram and Facebook.

To make the most of your content marketing, you should tweak the messaging for the subtle differences in your audience. Try to think about the demographics and appeals of each platform. 

Some examples may include:

• Instagram vs Facebook - your Instagram might have a younger audience and your aim for this audience might be to stop the scroll. Your content might include sharable, bite-sized pieces of content. In contrast, your Facebook audience is slightly older and prefers more value. Your messaging should focus more on the benefits of your business and how you can help them.

• Instagram vs X/Twitter - since Instagram is a visual platform, your post might feature a GIF or image with bold colours designed to attract people. In contrast, the X post might only be text-based.

• X/Twitter vs Facebook - take advantage of Facebook’s longer character count. Your X post can be a short and sharp summary or one key takeaway. The Facebook post can dive deeper into the topic by expanding on what has been said. 

These examples are all for social media platforms but the same can also be said for other channels. How can you disseminate a blog article into an email marketing campaign into a social post?

Taking the time to repurpose content in this way ensures you are being time-savvy and efficient. It means that the hard work and effort into the content reaches as many people as it can, told through a unique and tailored approach to ensure maximum engagement.

Consistent and cohesive

What does consistent branding look like?

In an omni-channel marketing campaign, you will need to ensure all your touchpoints are telling the same story. This ensures that wherever your customer reaches you, they will have a similar experience with your brand.

However, this does involve a little flexibility and your own judgment. Using templates to create designs does not mean you must strictly adhere to the guides. It’s ok to deviate occasionally, but make sure you’re sticking to it most of the time. Each branded content should also have a tailored message, depending on the platform it is being shown on. 

Ultimately, there should be a similar overall consistency, but changing up your style is not going to hurt anyone.