Your brand does not belong to you. Your brand exists entirely in the minds of your audience.

Unfortunately, many yoga businesses don’t commit to establishing a brand, opting instead to post quotes from mismatched sources, stock photos found on Google images, and applying filters that don’t compliment previous posts (I notice this a lot in yoga studios). While your brand might be clear to you, social media clutter is confusing your clients and your potential customers.

At a glance, you want a social media presence that is consistent, quality-driven, and unquestionably yours. Set a timer and take the next 20 minutes to clean up your social presence.

Your Business’ Facebook Page – 7 Minutes

• Flip through your cover photos and profile pictures . Many yoga studios have tested or used more than one logo. Delete any logos you do not currently use (you should be left with one logo).
• Delete blurry, dark, and low-quality photos. Your cover photos and profile photos are not a family album or a time capsule. They’re more like your storefront.
• Make sure your business name, address, and website can be easily found for new visitors.
• Take 1 more minute to scroll through the top few posts on your page, deleting any broken links.

Instagram – 5 Minutes

• Make sure your profile picture matches the logo you are using on Facebook.
• Make sure your business name is clear.
• If you have a website, make sure your website is clear.
• If you are a studio or own a storefront, make sure your street address is clear.
• Quickly scroll through your feed. Don’t be afraid to delete posts that don’t fit your brand (think colour, font, and personality), or low quality photos. This could be someone’s first impression of your brand. Your clients aren’t going to go back to see what you posted weeks ago, but consider that the people most likely to see old posts will be new, interested, potential clients.

Twitter – 3 Minutes

• Make sure your profile picture matches the logo you are using on Facebook and Instagram
• Choose a high quality cover photo (preferably one that showcases your community, your beautiful studio, your clothing designs, etc.)
• Take 1 minute to scroll through the top few tweets and make sure they reflect your business’ personality.

Final Check-In – 5 Minutes

• Is it obvious to a potential client that you are the same business across all three platforms?
• Is it easy for someone who arrives at any of your social pages to find more about you (most likely through a website?)
• Do pictures of your product, service, or studio look the way you would want them to be remembered?

Big athletic brands like Nike, Under Armour, and Lululemon don’t post other people’s content, or keep old logo versions up on social media pages, because it dilutes their brand. Fortunately, keeping a clean and clear social presence isn’t just affordable for large brands like theirs.

Don’t be afraid to reclaim your brand, by stripping away those things that you are not.

Laura Fraser is a yoga teacher, digital media specialist & hand-lettering artist. You can learn more about Laura here.