Building a strong brand is very important for a personal brand or business. In today’s competitive landscape, establishing a distinctive and memorable brand identity is more crucial than ever. Building a strong brand is multifaceted and requires careful planning, strategy, and execution. In this blog, we will explore some strategies for building your strong social media brand, one that will set you apart from the competition.
What is a Brand?
Branding is creating and managing the overall identity and perception of a product, service, company, or individual. Consciously defining your brand involves strategically crafting and communicating key elements such as the brand’s name, logo, tagline, messaging, visual elements, and overall personality to distinguish it from competitors and resonate with the target audience.
Effective branding goes beyond creating a recognisable logo or catchy slogan; it involves shaping the emotional connection, values, and reputation associated with the brand. It aims to evoke specific feelings, perceptions, and associations in consumers’ minds, ultimately influencing their purchasing decisions and loyalty.
Branding doesn’t have to be positive, it can also be negative. However, it is important to know that it is better to have no branding than bad branding.
Setting your Branding Pillars
Brand pillars are the foundational elements that capture the essence of your brand. These elements are your core values, attributes, and principles guiding your brand identity and its actions and communications.
When setting your branding pillars, start with establishing your core. This includes your vision, mission and purpose.
What are you giving your customers? How are you solving their problem? What do you want to achieve, and how do you want to accomplish that?
Target Audience
Two parties are involved in any transaction—the giver and the receiver. Understanding your target audience and to whom you’ll communicate is essential. Knowing critical details about your audience, such as their demographics, psychographics, goals, ambitions, expectations, desires, background story, and pain points, will help you tailor your messaging and create a more effective and engaging brand identity.
Choosing the Right Channel of Communication
We all know this. When creating a social media brand, you must know which channels suit your target audience. Every social media channel has its algorithm. You might have observed that what works well on Instagram does not work on LinkedIn, and the users are quite different. This is because each social media platform, whether LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or X(formerly Twitter)
However, more than choosing the right social media platform to communicate is required. You must also understand the algorithm. Understanding the algorithm will help you know how to pass the information or how best to share your content on social media. Here are some things to know about algorithms:
Timing: when posting on social media, the time your post is shared is very important. There is certain content that cannot be shared at a certain time. Why is time important? People and the times they get on social media also differ. It is noticed that hours like 1 pm or 2 pm are busy on social media because people who work are on break. It could be 5 pm when most people are on a bus, on the way home. So, timing is very important.
Others to consider are:
Quality
Consistency
Optimisation
organisation
Crafting your Content Strategy
A robust content strategy is essential for effectively engaging your audience and driving results across all platforms. When we talk about content, it’s not just about written text; it encompasses various mediums, including videos, images, infographics, podcasts, and more. Anything you share on your page contributes to your brand’s content.
The quality and relevance of your content speak volumes about your brand and the value you offer to your audience. To ensure your content resonates and thrives, it should embody certain characteristics:
1. Educational: Provide valuable insights, tips, or tutorials that empower your audience and help them learn something new.
2. Informative: Share relevant news, updates, or industry insights that keep your audience informed and engaged.
3. Entertaining: Inject humour, creativity, or storytelling into your content to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.
4. Motivational: Inspire and uplift your audience with motivational quotes, success stories, or personal anecdotes that resonate with their aspirations.
5. Controversial: Spark discussions and debate by addressing controversial topics or challenging conventional wisdom within your industry or niche.
6. Engagement-Worthy: Encourage interaction and participation by asking questions, running polls, or hosting contests that invite your audience to engage with your content.
Knowing what strategy to use depends on your audience and your story.
Utilising Visual Identity
Harnessing the power of visual identity is paramount in today’s digital landscape. Studies show that a staggering 80% of visually communicated content is more likely retained by the brain than written or spoken content. Visual elements not only enhance brand recognition but also elevate the perceived value of your brand, making it more memorable in the minds of your audience. Effective branding hinges on becoming top of mind for your target audience.
To establish a strong visual identity, consider the following key components:
1. Logo
Your logo serves as the cornerstone of your brand identity. It should be unique, memorable, and reflective of your brand’s personality and values.
2. Typography
Consistent typography enhances brand recognition and readability across various platforms. Choose fonts that align with your brand’s tone and message, and maintain font style and size uniformity.
3. Clear Avatar/Cover Photo
Your avatar and cover photo on social media platforms are often the first elements users encounter. Ensure they are visually appealing, high-quality, and accurately represent your brand identity.
4. Design Style
Define a consistent design style that resonates with your brand’s identity and target audience. Whether minimalist, modern, vintage, or eclectic, stick to a cohesive design aesthetic across all visual elements.
5. Color Palette
Colours evoke emotions and play a significant role in brand perception. Select a colour palette that aligns with your brand values and resonates with your target audience. Maintain consistency in colour usage across all brand assets.
6. Layout Style
Establish a layout style that complements your brand identity and enhances visual coherence. Whether grid-based, asymmetrical, or fluid, choose a layout style that best showcases your content while maintaining visual harmony.
