Perceptually positioning a brand in the consumer’s mind is a rather hefty task. A negative perception of the brand will lower the sales of the products and services and eventually lose potential and targeted customers. A positive one can change the buying behavior of the individual and make him or her a loyal customer.
Hence, the perception of one’s brand is fairly important. In today’s world, marketing and advertising are done using many tools, depending on the target audience.
The most common and highly spread over the source for positioning one’s brand is through social media marketing. Different platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. help create brand awareness. For startups, social media can prove to be no less than a blessing because, through the above-mentioned platforms, the brands can gain all the attention that they want.
Branding on social media might be cost-effective and efficient but one has to have a competitor’s edge which highlights their unique selling point in order to succeed. Here are some ways one can build a brand on social media:
Table of Contents
1. Explore all options
In the present time, we do not just have one social media platform, we have multiple platforms with different audiences. Surely it is important to know which audience to target or which platform’s insights are more rewarding but before narrowing down to limited social media channels, it is important to explore them all.
Moreover, it is not necessary to follow the competitor’s footsteps. All platforms can be utilized. It should be noted that just because you or your friends use a specific social network, it does not mean that your entire potential clientage uses that very platform.
Howsoever, one can always rule out irrelevant options. For example, if you’re advertising nail paint art, you do not need to create a brand name on LinkedIn.
2. The logo speaks for itself
Most successful brands position themselves in the mind of the consumer through their logo. The logo should be such that it not only gives the idea of what the brand is about but also uniquely places itself in the mind of the consumer. The yellow M for McDonald’s is enough to make anyone guess the eatery’s name.
A similar example is a tick for Nike. Just displaying it makes people say Nike’s slogan; just do it. It is important to communicate well with the designer and choose the appropriate font, colors, and designs. Your logo should match your brand’s ideology.
There are various designing tools available online and if you do not know how to make use of them, always hire a designer to design it as this investment is important.
3. Post according to the analytics
Most of the social media platforms provide insights for all the content posted. Through the insights given, one can analyze when the audience engages most on the page or when the audience responds most to the brand.
For example, a survey suggests that Instagram users should post more during the evening hours rather than the morning or noon ones. One has to figure out the ideal time for posting. Not only should the ideal time be discussed among the social network handlers but the frequency should be discussed as well.
There is a fine line between being too active and being not active at all. If you’re too active, your clients might un-follow/dislike you for cramming and spamming their feed. If you’re not active at all, they might not feel the need to follow your brand. A survey for Instagram suggests that posting at least three times a week is essential for engaging with your feed whereas posting more than one post a day consistently can result in loss of followers.
4. Connect with the audience
Posting regular content and updating your deals is one thing whereas connecting with the audience personally is another. Reply to your followers, answer all their inquiries, update them with your latest deals whenever asked, set up Giveaways and always welcome their feedback. Do not go very far. By this, we mean that it is important to let the truth remain on your page. If there’s a negative review, there’s no need to delete it. It is better to answer it and know that in marketing, ‘the customer is always right.’
5. Make branding strategies
Some brands have a more emotional approach whilst others have other kinds of approaches. Based on the ideology of one’s brand, the advertisements should be made. Even on social media, consistency of style and following a specific strategy is important. Creating all sorts of social marketing campaigns can cause cognitive overload for the client.
6. Know your customer, know your time
Of course, this goes without saying that the brand needs to be in the shoes of its client to understand the needs and wants. But, with time, come different trends and fads. Your brand can either stick to the same image for decades or can shift every now and then by updating the logo, tagline or slogan.
Both of these approaches can either up your game or down it. During this time, a user experience survey can be carried out. Also, know the right time to introduce new products or services in your line. Wrong time branding, especially on a social media platform, can backfire and change the perception the consumer has of your brand.
Conclusion
Following the above steps will help a brand establish its name on different social media platforms. It is worth mentioning the fact that to execute your social media marketing strategies, you will have to install a stable internet connection where you can carry out your work uninterruptedly. Remember, seeking advice from like-minded friends is not enough because they are not the customer and neither are you.
Your clientage and the perception of it is what will make or break your brand. Whilst these steps are essential and may help along the way, it is also important to have a clear ideology of the brand, a business plan to stick by, objectives to follow and goals to reach.
