BRANDING FUNDAMENTALS

6. Social Media

The bridge to your supporters, it is the most frequently used and transparent form of communication.

Not merely a platform to sing you own praises, it is the starting point for building a loyal tribe.

Hyper value Thread https://twitter.com/Concept2Brand/status/1336076824409944070

We all know social media done poorly.

Any large branded account that has very little character and it's more of a place for people to try and fail to contact customer support.

I'm thinking any of the internet providers or mobile networks...

We all know social media that does a good job, it almost blends in.

Isn't provocative, doesn't thrill or amuse... it informs, it offers some value if you are interested in the specific niche but it is not creating a brand.

It is an extension of their website... in snippets

Usually within professional industries, they won't risk showing personality at the cost of coming across childish or unpolished.

You CAN be sophisticated and sincere, really you can.

And then... social media done well

@loungeunderwear for their consistency across platforms and their variation in content formats

Great diverse imagery on IG
Conversation points on Twitter
Long form informative video on YouTube
Business insights on LinkedIn

Horses for courses

Take a look at @crystal_head vodka

Their Instagram and Twitter resonate vividly with their target audience.

It has variety, character, culture and importantly (at least for me)

It makes me want to be part of their tribe

@justthehorns

Beautifully pieced together with intricately woven slices of branding

Imagery that makes you want to train, to be your best

Powerful copy that makes you genuinely wonder if you could perform better in their gear

I offer these case studies because whilst I don't recommend you copy someone elses style, there is lessons to learn, ideas to gleam, concepts to develop.

What strategies can you incorporate into your own branding with your own spin?

Okay let's really get in to it.

The basics

- To start with be where your audience is most (you can't be everywhere)
- Small following but highly engaged > large following and un-engaged
- Return engagement is crucial to growing loyal followers, especially early on - go the extra mile

- Stand out, there is no such thing as a template to success, if everyone says "just do this"... how are you different
- Consistency with your message, pick your audience and speak only to them

- Regularity, have a routine to your message, better minimal and consistent than extravagant and sporadic
- Optimised profile, Say what you do quickly, what they'll find here and how to get in touch

- Stick to you goals, IG for brand awareness, Twitter for Information, YouTube for customer experience ( as examples)
- It should all encourage followers to want to buy by building that ever elusive brand, the value you are adding to your product

There are obvious things that you must do to enable you to build a brand.

However every industry is different, every company is different, every product is different.

Therefore your personality and brand voice must shine through

It must be ever prevalent in order to develop a relationship with your audience.

If you want a free 15 minute call to discuss your branding strategy - visit my website and book in with me.

If you want to get early access to a document I'm putting together with actionable content and advice for developing your brand visit here - https://gum.co/WrFVl