BRAND PERSONALITY

​It's a bright shiny New Year and what better time to take stock, plan your new year, look for new ways to be innovative and creative, and to deliver a great product or service level for the coming year.  The start of the year can be a good time to map out your approach to gaining new customers, retaining your current customers, and how to manage your team and your own time better.
 
It is a time for strategy, planning, and reflecting on what worked well last year and the best approach for the coming year. So, I thought it would only be fitting to start the new year off with a blog to help you think about your brand personality through social media and what that means to your customers and potential customers.  

Brand personality goes far beyond your logo, your mission, and your values for your company. Your brand personality is who you are; it’s why people buy your products, why they love your service, and why they want to engage with your business time and time again. And brand personality is more important than ever in the world of social media, because it is a direct chance to engage with your potential customers.
 
One of the biggest mistakes a lot of corporates make with social media and brand personality online is in trying to be too corporate and ending up being stuffy and boring … That is not what social media is about. Social media is about engaging; it should be fun, it should be light, and it should be informative without being overly salesy…
 
If you are not a big corporate and have a smaller marketing budget, you might think that it’s impossible to compete with the bigger players in the market…. but you’ll be happy to know that we don’t think so! One of the benefits you have if you are smaller business is a chance to connect with your customers and potential customers on a real-world level through real, personalised engagement, and exceptional level of customer service online.
 
Being authentic and engaged are “the new black” of digital marketing strategies.
 
If you take the time to really engage with people on your social media platforms your customers will feel engaged, they will become familiar with your brand and will therefore be more likely to purchase your product or visit your venue. So, what are some of the ways you can engage with your audience online? Here are a few to get you started…

Know what your objective is:
What is your objective on each of your social media platforms? Is it to get people to visit your cellar door? Is it to get people to book a table in your restaurant? Buy your product online? Or is it brand awareness? Be very clear about your objective and strategy for each of your social platforms. The strategy might be different for each platform, and that is entirely Ok as well. Just ensure you are crystal clear in what you want out of your social media efforts.
 
 
Engage, Answer, Reply:
Always go into every post with a purpose. Is the purpose to get people to comment? To educate your audience about an event or product? Or is it selling a lifestyle or image? Know what you want out of the post and engage with people who take the time to comment and ask questions. Actively participate with those who participate with you online.
 
Be You:
If you are a small family run winery, let this shine through in your marketing. Don’t be too corporate, but instead let your personality shine through. People want to feel your passion and will share your enthusiasm for what you do. If it comes through in your social media posts, your business will benefit from it. “Be you, everyone else is taken anyway”.
 
Track what works:
Lastly, always try and track what works and what doesn’t. Tracking the time of day you post, the colours you use, what text you write with, can all help you hone in on what works for your brand. Put your spin on what you think might sell your product or service best, and don’t be afraid to try different things. See what works and run with that.
 
Being a brand is all about personality. Many of the most loved brands in the world do well because people love what they are about, their story and their message. So, don’t be afraid to let your personality, story and passion shine through.
 
Happy 2018
 
KB