Create a first impression: crafting a successful social media profile

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Are your social media profiles updated for your online audiences?

As of April 2024, there are 5.18 billion internet users all over the world.

That’s a huge chunk of the over 8 billion people worldwide!

These 5.18 billion people spend an average of 143 minutes of their day scrolling through social media networks.

That’s almost 3 hours of just browsing through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or TikTok!

This is why building social media profiles has become essential for any business.

You see all sorts of brands online, from basic grocery stores and restaurants to high-end airlines and designer brands.

In some cases, an active social media feed is even more important than having an updated official website.

It’s where customers can connect with your brand, ask questions, get inspired, and share your posts with their friends and family.

This convenient sharing aspect of social media networks makes it easier to boost brand awareness among audiences who don’t know your brand.

Meanwhile, staying active online helps maintain trust with your existing customers and followers.

Having an up-to-date profile tells your audience that you are a detail-oriented company looking to connect with consumers, even online.

Even we at Deer Designer work hard to keep our social media profiles updated.

(Go on and follow our social media profiles at LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (er… X), and even TikTok!)

In this guide, I’ll share what it takes to keep your social media profiles updated and connect with your audience.

The unique challenges of designing social media profiles

Just like any marketing effort, designing social media profiles involves several challenges that require careful planning and creativity.

Here are some challenges and how we work around them:

Being recognizable in your network

Think of when you’re building a store facade to attract people.

You want to make sure you have signage and displays that will not only attract your potential customers but will also help them recognize and remember your brand.

The same goes for social media profiles.

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Keep your visual identity consistent across profiles and screen sizes.

You want your profile photos, banners, and posts to be eye-catching and easily recognizable to your network.

For example, brands like Nike have a strong visual identity with their iconic swoosh logo consistently used across their posts and profiles.

It is instantly recognizable, even when reduced to a small size.

Maintaining your page’s SEO to stand out in search results

A key reason for having a social profile in the first place is to make it easy for people to search for you online.

You want to be one of the first results when people look for your brand or are searching for related products and services.

This can be tough if you have no background in search engine optimization or SEO.

You don’t want to be at the bottom of the search results and miss out on the clicks of your potential customers.

To combat this, you should fill in all your important profile details, such as your display name, contact details, and bio, to make it easier for search engines to find your page and recommend it to users.

Keeping a consistent schedule across platforms

It can be a challenge to keep up with social media with so many posts and trends we see every day, but it really is important.

Consistently posting on different platforms lets your audience know that you are still active and in business.

This is why big brands often have scheduled posts to keep their platforms updated.

At Deer Designer, we maintain a regular posting schedule to make sure our audience sees us on their feed and knows we are still here if they want to get in touch.

How you can build your brand’s social media presence

Once you address the unique challenges to designing a social media profile, you can then think of the bigger picture and consider how you can build your brand’s social media presence to connect with people online.

Recognizable images, regardless of size

You want to make sure that every time your posts and updates make it to the timeline, your audience recognizes that it is you.

Your profile needs a distinct name and profile picture that are recognizable and clear, even if they are displayed in small sizes.

It helps to avoid intricate details that can get lost when scaled down.

Think of the Duolingo profile picture.

There aren’t many details, but you can recognize the eyes and beak of their iconic bird mascot.

This recognizability helps your audience remember your brand and connect better with your posts.

Eye-catching banners for LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter

While your profile photo and name are what give your audience a good first impression when they see you on the timeline, the banner or cover photo is the first thing they see when they click on your profile.

This happens either when they search for you or when they just click on your name when you’re on the timeline.

Your banner should be engaging and reflective of your brand’s personality.

As there is more space on a banner, you can use it to showcase your latest products, promotions, company achievements, and contact information.

High-quality posts and images

High-quality images convey professionalism and attention to detail.

After all, would you really trust a page that calls itself “professional” in its field but posts low-resolution and badly edited images?

Ensure that all images you use are high-resolution and properly cropped to fit the specific dimensions required by each platform.

Do you need a guide on the sizes for posts on each social media platform?

We go into detail about it in this article:

➡️Best graphic design practices when creating social media graphics

Keeping your brand consistent

Consistency is key to building a strong brand identity.

Keep your logo, color palette, fonts, and imagery consistent across all your social media profiles to help with brand recall.

It helps to develop a brand style guide that includes your brand colors, fonts, and logo usage rules.

Want to learn more about brand style guides?

We have a guide that can help you in this article:

➡️Unveiling the power of brand style guides: building consistency

Important details and call to action

Now that your audience has found you online, what do you want them to do? Or how can they contact you to get in touch?

You want people to easily find essential information about your business, such as your website, address, phone number, etc.

Use the bio or description sections to provide a brief and compelling overview of your business and how to find you.

You also want to guide them, whether you want them to browse your catalog, visit your store, or send you a message.

Images and designs you need to optimize your social media

Now that you have the important details of your profile completed, it’s time to get creative. Here are some images and designs you should prepare when creating a social media profile:

Profile picture

Your profile picture is the most visible element of your social media profile, as it is shown with all your content.

It should be your logo or a recognizable image that represents your brand.

Avoid generic profile photos with simple initials or a vague icon that is not unique to your brand.

Cover photo or banner

As we mentioned earlier, the cover photo, or banner, is a larger image that appears at the top of your profile.

It’s a great place to highlight your brand’s personality and key messages.

See these examples of brands with creative cover photos or banners:

profile,social media profile,first impression,successful social media profile,brand,linkedin,twitter,update,optimize your social media,platform,instagram,network,good social media,social media presence,SEO,schedule,call to action,search results
Slack has a simple yet recognizable cover by using their brand’s pattern and colors.
profile,social media profile,first impression,successful social media profile,brand,linkedin,twitter,update,optimize your social media,platform,instagram,network,good social media,social media presence,SEO,schedule,call to action,search results
McCafe Canada highlights its ethically sourced beans and certifications.
profile,social media profile,first impression,successful social media profile,brand,linkedin,twitter,update,optimize your social media,platform,instagram,network,good social media,social media presence,SEO,schedule,call to action,search results
HubSpot displays more information with its Spring 2024 highlight and how to get there.
profile,social media profile,first impression,successful social media profile,brand,linkedin,twitter,update,optimize your social media,platform,instagram,network,good social media,social media presence,SEO,schedule,call to action,search results
The Guardian goes simple yet impactful with their tagline, “Not for sale.”

Post Thumbnails

Whether you are uploading an article, video, or carousel post, you want your thumbnail to reflect your brand while encouraging your audience to click and learn more.

Having a great thumbnail on your social media posts can instantly increase engagement.

These should be visually appealing and consistent with your brand’s style.

Some people use a consistent theme (like Deer Designer!) for their Instagram profile, as this platform shows a grid of all your posts in your profile.

Instagram story highlight covers

On platforms like Instagram and Facebook, you can upload stories that are shown to your audience briefly and disappear within 24 hours.

However, you can keep them in your profile as story highlights.

These highlights are displayed as a collection in your Instagram profile, so if you want to keep them organized, have clean-looking highlight covers for each collection.

Design custom covers for these highlights to keep your profile organized andappealing.

Here are some examples of brands that organized their story highlight covers:

profile,social media profile,first impression,successful social media profile,brand,linkedin,twitter,update,optimize your social media,platform,instagram,network,good social media,social media presence,SEO,schedule,call to action,search results
Canva, the design platform, organizes its highlights into resources their audience may find interesting.
profile,social media profile,first impression,successful social media profile,brand,linkedin,twitter,update,optimize your social media,platform,instagram,network,good social media,social media presence,SEO,schedule,call to action,search results
The Smithsonian, the museum, organizes its highlights into different topics that are seasonal or relevant to their audience.
profile,social media profile,first impression,successful social media profile,brand,linkedin,twitter,update,optimize your social media,platform,instagram,network,good social media,social media presence,SEO,schedule,call to action,search results
Cosmopolitan, the magazine, organizes its highlights into the people they feature.

Keeping your social media profile up-to-date

We mentioned earlier that you need to keep your profiles up-to-date, but how do you exactly do that?

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when designing and updating your social media profiles:

Regular updates

We mentioned earlier that you should post on your profiles regularly, but what do you even post about?

Here are some ideas:

  • Company events and milestones
  • Product promotions
  • New arrivals
  • Quotes, tips, and reminders related to your brand
  • Holiday greetings

Keep it simple

Simplicity is key to creating effective social media images.

Avoid clutter and focus on clear, concise designs that communicate your brand message effectively.

Don’t put too much text on your post, and use negative space strategically to draw attention to key elements of your design.

If you have a lot of information to put in a post, consider putting it in the caption or splitting your images into carousels or multiple photo posts.

Stay up-to-date with platform requirements

Even if you regularly upload posts, your profile can still look dated if you’re not careful with your designs!

Social media platforms frequently update their image size requirements.

You don’t want your photos to appear cropped when people are scrolling online.

It makes you look like an amateur!

Stay informed about these changes to ensure your images are always optimized.

Engage with your audience

Other than uploading posts regularly, you want to use your social media profile to engage with your audience.

Respond to comments, ask questions, and encourage followers to tag you in their content related to your brand.

Build a strong online presence with a good social media profile

A well-designed social media profile establishes brand awareness and trust.

By understanding the unique challenges of designing for social media and following best practices, you can create profiles that stand out and engage your audience.

Does it seem like a lot of work?

You don’t have to worry.

We at Deer Designer make it easy to keep your profile updated.

Whether you need an update on your brand’s profile picture and cover photo or you want to create engaging social media posts, we’ve got you covered!

We specialize in creating compelling social media profiles that resonate with a wide range of audiences.

Are you ready to build your brand’s social media presence?

Book a client-fit call today to learn more about our design services and how we can help you create impactful social media profiles.

Key takeaways

  • As more people browse social media platforms online, you want to help them find your brand by maintaining your social media profile.
  • Keeping your brand consistent and easily recognizable helps with brand recall and creating a connection with your audience.
  • Maintaining your page’s SEO can help you stand out in search results when people look for your brand or related products and services online.
  • Regularly updating your platforms through posts lets people know you are still active and in business.
  • Make sure your profiles have complete details, such as your website, address, or contact information, so people can reach you when they need to get in touch.
  • Some images you need for your social media profile include a profile picture, a cover photo, post thumbnails, and Instagram story highlight covers.

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