As social media marketing continues to expand, Instagram has become an essential platform for conveying a brand’s identity and worldview. However, depending on how it is managed, it can also harm a brand’s value.
For instance, consider a company that changes its Instagram management agency every six months. While bringing in fresh perspectives and ideas has its advantages, frequent changes in tone and style (referred to as “tonality and manner,” or ton-manner), as well as shifts in messaging due to new managers, can create inconsistencies. Repeated changes of this nature increase the risk of followers perceiving the brand as “inconsistent.”
■ The Effects of Changing Ton-Manner
Every time a management agency changes, the tone and style of posts—both in design and captions—may also change. For example, a previously simple and sophisticated image may suddenly become pop and casual. If such a shift is not part of a deliberate rebranding effort, it can create a sense of discomfort among followers and erode trust in the brand.
On a visually driven platform like Instagram, it is crucial that a brand’s identity is communicated clearly and consistently through its posts. Without consistency, followers struggle to grasp the brand’s message, leading to a potential decline in engagement.
■ Protecting the Core of Your Brand Requires a Long-Term Perspective
To avoid these challenges, it is essential to manage social media with a “long-term perspective.” Even when transitioning to a new management agency, it is vital to ensure a thorough handover of the brand vision and tonal guidelines. This should include the following elements:
- The core message of the brand
- The tone and style (ton-manner) of posts, including design and language
- Past successful campaigns and posting patterns
When selecting a new management agency, it is also important to prioritize their ability to deeply understand the brand image and maintain it over time.
■ Consistency Builds Trust
In social media management, “consistency” is the foundation for building trust with followers. Even if the management team changes, having a solid brand foundation reassures followers. On the other hand, if tone and messaging keep changing over short periods, all the hard work put into marketing efforts may go to waste.
While it’s important to remain innovative and avoid complacency, preserving the value of your brand hinges on maintaining consistent messaging and tone. Taking a long-term perspective and reevaluating your social media strategy might be worth considering.
■ Advice for Marketers in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, it’s not uncommon to see cases where social media managers change frequently, visuals from ads are simply pasted onto posts, or Canva effects are overused based on a designer’s preference. While continuity and frequency are crucial for social media, budgets are often limited. Precisely because of these limitations, it’s all the more important to maintain long-term consistency and a unified approach, isn’t it?