Social media is an effective marketing tool for any brand looking to open a communication channel to existing and new customers.

However, it can be difficult to understand how to start and maintain an online content strategy. GEC PR are communication specialists, and in celebration of our 5^th Anniversary in April, Company Director Sarah Salord has put together five top tips to help travel and lifestyle brands learn how to make the most of social media marketing.

• Decide your brand image and tone of voice – how do you want your brand to be perceived? It’s important to maintain a consistent brand image across social channels, which aligns with the brand itself. Create a colour palate in-line with the brand’s logo and website and ensure this is used for all visuals and graphics. Also make sure posts are written in the tone and style of the brand itself, tying in with the company values and goals.
• Create a social media content plan – pull together a creative content strategy including two or three posts per week. These can tie-in with seasonal topics relevant to your brand or showcase exciting news about the brand, but always keep in mind the target audience and ensure the content is designed to interest and intrigue that person. Share videos showcasing tips on how to use your brand, post case studies from successful previous campaigns or publish interview features with personalities which share learnings from their experiences.
• Get visually creative – using creative platforms such as Canva and Pixielied are a great way to add some spark to your images and visuals. They’re free to use and offer a range of templates ready for you to design graphics with your own images and copy. Good quality visual content is proved to be more engaging and more shareable and an absolute must for brands looking to increase their followers and online traffic.
• Showcase your personality through Instagram reels and stories – videos are an effective way to build an online community and put a face to the brand. Stories especially are an easy way to stay in contact and build a relationship with the client or customer, and as the content is only available for 24 hours the angles, lighting, or background don’t have to be perfect. They’re quick and easier to upload and a great free tool to use.
• Be consistent and socially active – sharing content regularly can build a trusting relationship with your audience. Put aside enough time each week to post across your chosen social media channels every few days. It’s also important to spend time engaging with your followers which can be through responding to their comments, ‘liking’ their posts and re-sharing content if relevant. Try to be consistent as possible.