Branding

Business Outsider

Tunji Adegbite

The focus of business branding has moved from only centering on the business entity itself, to also

include promoting a personal connection by humanising the brand. Global companies like Netflix have reflected this in their brand communications by speaking in a human voice, engaging with users in a simple ‘bants-like’ tone. Social identity is one of the ways emerging brands are positioning their business in the marketplace.

Building a social brand identity is the process of creating a specific image of yourself in the mind of your ideal client or target audience so they can get to know, like and trust your company before they buy from or interact directly with the company. People respond to other people and the importance of developing relationships with customers can be overstated.

One of the ways of building a social brand identity is through Personal branding. This is not about fame; it is about being able to communicate your unique personal values in all that you do. Personal branding is just as much about determining internally what’s important to you, what your values are and what kind of work you want to do. Some international companies have benefited from their very visible leaders – Steve Jobs and Apple, Elon Musk and Tesla. As a small business owner, you are your brand, and your brand name is only as good as your reputation. If your reputation is questionable, then you have put your brand at risk. Let your reputation shine that people will see your good works.

“A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad” – it leads to positive word-of-mouth referrals, increased top of mind awareness, builds strong consumer loyalty and increases their resistance to negative information about the brand.

Focus on the best platform that works for you.

With increasing internet penetration, most businesses require a digital or social media presence. Over 30 per cent of business transactions now originate from or conclude via social channels. Beyond that, your digital media expands your reach and builds a community around your company. It is a powerful tool for telling your brand story and impacts how the business is perceived.

But in order for it to be effective, businesses need to leverage the right digital/social media channels that best connect their message with the target audience.

Facebook or Twitter can be your main focus, it may be Instagram, LinkedIn or even Snapchat or a combination of any of them. A fashion business primarily communicates via images and may find its ideal social network on Instagram or Facebook. Irrespective of which channels a business chooses, focusing on its main platforms does two things, it makes you effectively communicate your brand’s ideas, and it makes you reach your target audience where they are.

Be Relatable

This is not to suggest neglecting or throwing away core business objectives but to deliver the intended message in a simple engaging manner. What this means is, no matter how ‘serious’ the information you want to pass to your target audience is, let your communication materials and Ad copy be relatable and appeal to the customers functional, emotional and self-expressive needs. According to social media experts, this is how to do it:

Start conversations with your customers around your products by leveraging the Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn community groups related to your product. Solicit opinions, spark off a discussion, and then provide information about your product to capture attention.

Use images to showcase your products and offerings. People respond faster to clear images than words alone.

Create a hashtag associated with your brand. Use it for all your promotional content for a cohesive campaign

Leverage More on Video Content

Video content is one surefire way to engage your audience- Analysis of consumer responses to content on social media channels reveals that people engage more with image carousels, motion graphics and videos. According to marketing director Zach Binder, whether your goal is a product advertisement, building trust, delivering information, or pure entertainment, deploying a proper video strategy can invariably improve your conversion rates and engagement. The different types of video content that you can share on social media as stated by Ashwini Pai include:

Educational content, which tells your audience why they should buy your product/service, highlighting its features, benefits and value.

Instructional content, mostly “how to’s” on using your product, understanding owner’s manual, navigating a software, and more.

Promotional content aimed at new buyers or reinforcing your brand proposition before existing customers.

Aspirational content, where you communicate brand value with customer testimonials and share positive brand experiences narrated by happy customers, to enhance the desirability of your product/service.

Lastly, Build to Last

It is important to have longevity in minÅd when developing your social brand strategy. In this age of digital media, it’s very easy for companies to go viral for a short while and then fade into obscurity. Engage the customer beyond closing a single sale and integrate strategies to retain and improve a customer’s lifetime value. An example is offering customers discount vouchers on their birthdays and not just sending happy birthday messages. Whatever strategy a business deploys, play the long-term game.

•Adegbite is a thought leader in Strategy and Supply Chain, who has worked with leading organisations like PwC and an IOC. He also founded Naspire, a business research platform using African business insights to help entrepreneurs and professionals succeed. He can be reached via tunji@naspire.com