How to make a Brand Playbook for your Social Media Campaign
So, you’ve finally set up your own business. You got all the equipment and hired the right people for a start. You’ve also created an awesome logo with a witty name to get everybody’s attention. Not to mention, you also created a social media page to announce your brand’s online presence.
Everything’s all set and good to go, except for one thing: your brand playbook.
What’s a brand playbook, you ask?Â
Here’s the thing, your brand is more than just your logo or your business name. It is generally a way of identifying your business and how you will be seen and heard. It is what will separate your business from your competitors and other brands.
Do I really need one?
Composing a brand playbook is all about cohesiveness. It ensures your presentation, whether visual (names, logos, creative assets) or communicational (language and tone), remains consistent throughout your social media campaign.
Moreover, it may also contain other important guidelines, processes, and reminders about your social media strategy.
Okay, I’m convinced. How do I make my brand playbook?
While there is no specific list of what goes into your brand playbook and what does not, here are some general items to get you started.
Summary of the BrandÂ
Your key message is a short tagline that best summarizes your brand or a particular social media campaign. Start with a brief description of your business, company values, what you do, and the services and products you offer. You may include your brand’s key message as well.Â
Target audience
Next up is your target audience. Set a specific demographic you think will be most interested in your social media page. The key to identifying your target audience is knowing and tapping your niche. Include details like their age, gender, location, and income level if needed. You may also specify situational audiences if you have a product or service that caters to a particular circumstance (i.e., specific diseases, occasions).Â
Should you have multiple target audiences, be sure to provide a brief description of each in your brand playbook.
Social Media Objectives
What do you hope to achieve in your social media campaign? Is it to increase brand awareness? Promote a particular product? Or redirect audiences to inquire via Messenger?
If you don’t have a goal yet, just remember to stay SMART:Â
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-BoundÂ
This will help keep your branding focused and set up the right expectations.
Social Media Caption and Image GuidelinesÂ
In social media marketing, everyone’s aiming to be the next trending thing. It’s a competition over the most creative, the wittiest, and the funniest in an attempt to catch the audience’s attention. Admit it. You tried it too.
Still, creativity should have its limits. Otherwise, your brand won’t have a distinct personality that sets it apart. Worse, you may not effectively appeal to your target audience in an attempt to please everyone.
Having a brand playbook means setting guidelines for your social media content to follow. List down the Dos and Don’ts for the caption and materials and define the language, voice, and tone depending on your brand’s target audience. Top tip: Include other vital reminders such as keywords and necessary image elements.
Brand Kit
The brand kit is mostly used to create images, videos, GIFs, and other visual materials. This is where you put variations of your logo, brand colors, and fonts to use.
Previous Social Media Campaigns
If you’ve been hired as a social media manager, it would also be helpful to ask for previous posts to guide your next campaign.
Conclusion
No brand playbook is ever final. As trends come and go, so does the brand must adjust with the times. So never be stuck with your rules and always be willing to add to your playbook. Always remember that consistency matters. Creativity and innovation may catch the netizens’ attention, but the constant production of on-target, relevant, and engaging content will build brand loyalty.
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