In today's ever expanding digital world companies are in constant competition to remain in the mind of potential customers. This is especially important for small businesses. Without worldwide brand recognition at their disposal, the little guy’s best friend is creativity and audacity as everyone jostles for attention in the world's biggest marketplace: the internet. So let’s explore some of the techniques small businesses can employ with their branding and marketing in order to be perceived in the right way by the right people.
The first thing that any company should do before forging an identity for themselves in the online space is make sure you understand who you are trying to sell to. No matter whether you are selling second hand socks or business coaching, you should always have a specific person in mind before building anything else about your business. A really good way to do this is to create a fictional person who would want what you are selling.
Give them a believable name and age range and start building out the types of things they enjoy doing. Really put some effort into making it as authentic as possible as it will pay off every time you sit down to create something for your business.
Perhaps you feel a little restricted trying to just come up with one person because your product is so good that everyone wants to buy it. Well that’s ok, create two or three people. But try and be as precise as possible otherwise the whole exercise is null and void as you can very easily reach the same conclusion you started with and have no idea who you are trying to sell to.
Now this is my favourite bit. Once you have a clear idea of who your perfect customer would be you can start building your brand in the perfect archetype to appeal directly to them. Maybe your ideal customer is the outdoorsy type so you draw on some earthy tones to really create a natural vibe around your product. A perfect inspiration for this is Passenger.
Or perhaps you want to use a deep green as your primary brand colour because of its connotations with affluency and upper class living, thus attracting a high class of clientele who are willing to spend slightly above average but expect quality in return. Rolex would be great inspiration for this.
I’m sure you are really getting a sense of why brainstorming on your target market is so important now. But it all goes deeper than colour, when creating a brand identity it’s a really good time to get straight on the type of language you want to use in your marketing. Most brands have a tendency to not take themselves too seriously as it’s one of the best ways to appeal to the younger generation (when done right). Of course this decision is made in reference to who your target customer is, for example if you are trying to sell gutter cleaning services to homeowners you may want to be slightly more frank in your language as your target demographic will swing older.
Another thing to decide on is the overall vibe of your brand. Maybe you want to take a clean concise route with matte colour palettes and sleek branding. A really good inspiration for this is Gruum.
Or maybe you want to go in a more abstract, non-conforming direction. Where your brand is really personified through the use of fun shapes and popping colours. Who Gives A Crap is the antithesis of abstract and fun.
Your Brand Identity is what makes your company unique so as long as you stay true to what makes your product or service special you can’t go to far wrong
Now this is where we can start executing our vision, all while still being informed by who the target market is. You can use it to inform which platforms to face your focus and thus not waste your time posting on Facebook if your ideal client would be more likely to frequent TikTok.
The whole strategy would borrow heavily from the plans you will have laid out during the Brand Identity stage, here is just where you communicate that identity to the world. And more importantly your customers. This is where you lay out who you are and hope people like you. It’s the first day of school every single day.
Perhaps you decided on really standing out and not taking yourself too seriously. Well the perfect inspiration would be Surreal (I personally LOVE their socials for this reason).
They use their position as the underdog to poke fun at their competitors and position themselves at the same level of the consumer. If you're targeting a younger audience and want to connect with them there is no better way then attacking the big dogs of Kelloggs and Nestle through gutsy jabs at the status quo and funny meme driven narratives.
Maybe that’s a little too out there and doesn’t suit who you are trying to sell to. Perhaps you’re looking to create a more down to earth holistic feel to your social platforms. The best example of such would be Rapanui.
Through a more authentic approach, Rapanui appeals to every age group whilst keeping to its very clear message of wanting a healthy world for all. This is such a good example of how your brand identity directly feeds into your social media strategy and vice versa.
Now here's the final step, and maybe the most important one. Consistency! Make sure you stick to the same target audience. Stick to the same brand Identity and stick to the same social media strategy.
It can sometimes feel like things aren’t happening fast enough and we can become tempted by a full refresh. But this does nothing for your company in the short term and only destroys any momentum you could build up in the long term. The way you build a loyal, growing customer base is by sticking to the identity people know you for and being patient.
So there’s a quick rundown on how to get started with building your company's identity in the digital space. It’s really overwhelming when you're just starting out and blank page syndrome can be pretty tough to fight. If you are beat for ideas, we are always an email away ready to help with everything Branding and SMM. You can even book a Free Consultation if you just want to get the ball rolling.
Written By
Cole Pollard
Freelance Graphic & Web Designer
