Branding on Social Media: The Importance of an Online Identity

10
Jul 2015

Think back on your teen years for a moment: was there ever a time you went through a “phase,” experimenting with a new hairstyle, clothing style, or way of speaking to fit in with a certain crowd? Finding your identity as an individual is an important part of our human growth and development, and the same can be said for small business. Many companies dive into social media without having first fully established their brand, making it a tricky endeavor. Yet all it takes are a few questions to understand the core of your brand’s personality and start crafting an online image that your fans and followers will respond to. 

  • What images/logos/color schemes best represent your brand? Picking these visual cues and using them consistently is essential to creating brand recognition and bringing an emotional connection to your product or service. All your images, logos, and color schemes should compliment one another, creating an overall aesthetic that communicates the tone or personality of your brand.
  • Photo Credit: @articlegood

    What are your areas of expertise? What sets you apart from your competitors? No matter how unique your company may be, it’s almost guaranteed there is someone out there with a similar concept or product. You must be able to communicate to your customers what makes you different. Give them a way to identify you, and stand out from your competitors.

  • Who do you want to associate with as a company? What other brands align with your image? Leveraging prominent industry leaders can help give your brand the credibility it needs to be successful on social media. Share content from other companies that have branding aligned with your own, and be sure to tag them in any posts you share to ensure that their fans see it. Ideally these people may become your fans as a result.
  • What channels support your brand? If your knowledge of social media is limited, you may be surprised to learn that more is not necessarily always better. There are hundreds of social media platforms out there; not all of them are going to fit your business model or tap into the audience you’d like to connect with. Do your research to discover what channels will allow you the most return on your investment. 

Asking yourself these key questions will help you better discover the nature of your brand, and thereby, connect with potential leads in a meaningful and impactful manner. Whether your ultimate goal is to increase sales, promote brand awareness, get customer feedback, or even just educate users, social media is an effective way to build an online brand that people will eventually know, like, and trust.

 

Fill out the form below to start your conversation with KWSM.

Core Values at KWSM a digital marketing agency