We’ve all had this happen:
someone bumps into you at the grocery store, or right after you’ve left the gym, and awkwardly says, “Hey, I almost didn’t recognize you!”

I wonder how often this happens to small business brands online. The ever-growing number of social media sites means we’re no longer in control of where or when customers and prospects engage our brand and consume our content. That’s why small businesses, marketers and entrepreneurs have an ongoing challenge to keep their brands consistent across a variety of channels.

Brand consistency builds top-of-mind awareness, earns trust, builds confidence and persuades prospects to give you an opportunity to earn their business.

It’s not easy keeping your visual house in order and learning how to add or edit content, post and track results in one or more of these marketing sites:

• Company website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Review sites
• Directory sites
• Blogs

The top 5 things you can do to improve your brand consistency online:

1. Audit your current sites: The quickest way to identify areas that need an update is to take a screen capture of all your online channels, print them out and do a visual audit. Look for things like blurry logos, wrong-sized graphics or wasted graphic real estate.
2. Clean up broken links: Take your screen captures and double check links within your pages to make sure they are still working. Often, a new web page has been created, but the URL was never updated. Or a page may have been deleted, but the link still appears.
3. Download design guides: Proactive designers and social media channels have created design guides to help you create the right size and resolution for your graphics, and to maximize your marketing opportunities. Click on this link for social media design guides.
4. Connect social media channels: Many social media channels allow you to add connections to your other social media sites. This is a bonus as it automates posting, builds reach, and allows customers and prospects to follow you on other channels.
5. Assign a Brand Cop: Select one person from your team to be the “Brand Cop,” in charge of checking your sites about once a month to make sure links are still working and images are still good.

Applying these simple tips will help strengthen your online brand consistency and help you look great—no matter where your customers and prospects bump into you!

Tell us how you keep your brand looking great online. We’d love to hear your ideas, strategies and suggestions.