Think about what brand identity means to you and the purchasing decisions you make. Consider the cars, clothes, food, and beverages that you buy. You might think a brand is mostly about a logo or slogan. It’s really much more than that. Leading marketing guru Seth Godin goes further with the idea, by saying that a brand’s value can be seen in how often people “choose the expectations, memories, stories and relationships of one brand over the alternatives.”
A strong digital presence can enhance your brand by building customer loyalty, strengthening the relationship you have with current customers, boosting your online presence, and making you more credible in the eyes of customers, vendors and peers alike. Identify what’s unique about you and your company. Consider these questions as you build your own brand identity:
- What are your major strengths?
- What does your company offer that others may not?
- Do you have subspecialty expertise that sets you apart from other businesses in your space?
- Do you have a hobby or expertise outside of your career that people might find interesting?
- What are the key messages you want to communicate?
Once you have defined your brand, you can use social media to promote and maintain it. Here, it’s important to be consistent in all of your communications, both the content and the design. Choose a template that coordinates with your website and other social media accounts. Develop a tag line for your online persona.
Branding is not a logo; it’s a value proposition.
