How to build a brand identity: Part 2
In the previous story, I discussed the initial stage of a brand identity that is essential for everyone to begin with. The best part? You don’t have to be a designer to build certain elements of a brand identity.
I talked about the Brand DNA (Purpose, Vision, Mission, Values; in that order). Remember the statement:
The purpose drives the vision, which inspires the mission, guided by the values.
But let us not forget what must be done before going further to craft your brand personality.
Target Audience.
Identify who you want to target with your brand.
Before you start writing content or even finding your brand personality, you need to have a hint of who your target audience is.
Bear in mind that you might not find your target audience on your first go. I found mine after a couple of months on LinkedIn.
It’s safe to say you need certain amount of data understand your target audience.
If you’re a writer, write.
If you’re a designer, design.
Share your work and get feedback.
This helps clarify who is interested in your work and can guide you in selecting your target audience.
Using analytics and data from your own work on platforms is one of the best ways to learn about your target audience.
I write on medium, and I can view Medium Stats to identify visitors to my profile and the topics they are interested in.
If you’re writing a social media post, use tools like Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, or Instagram Insights to see who is following you, how they engage with your content, and when they’re most active.
I tend to care less concerned about my audience’s level of activity, though it is important.
My audience is me.
I’m making content for myself. Everybody else is invited.
I know that if I can write to me in a very effective way, I can convince someone else to get a brand identity from me.
We get so worried about the algorithm that we forget why we create content in the first place.
This is why I create for me. I create content that I enjoy creating and is also valuable to my audience.
Okay, perhaps I have a few additional target audiences in my audience list :)
Before I go on and on about audiences, let’s dive into defining your brand personality.
Defining Your Brand Personality.
Your brand is a person.
Which kind of personality would it have?
Would it be bold and playful, or sophisticated and refined?
Since this is your own person, don’t you have the power to control how they act and look?
Let me tell you a little story here before we go ahead.
I started working in design in 2021, specifically focusing on graphic design.
I designed flyers for retail business owners, mostly receiving requests from WhatsApp promotion groups. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was doing a lot of outbound marketing. I got tired of having to design a flyer with no previous background of the brand.
I sought to create the brand myself. In my case, to present the brand to the world. After some time, I heard about brand design, and I haven’t looked back since.
I enjoy brand design because I get to work with amazing people to create outstanding identities for incredible brands.
Although I sometimes tend to procrastinate :(
And so, the point of this to let you know that you have control.
You are the brand owner.
You are in control.
Your personality, often referred to as your brand archetype, helps you to:
- Avoid the “shiny object syndrome.”
- Make your audience crave you.
- Stand out in the crowded, but so full opportunity, marketplace.
- Filter your decisions for your brand.
In finding your brand archetype (your brand personality) you equally have to find your brand voice and it kind of comes automatically because you have a brand personality which has a voice (obvious right?)
Your brand voice should reflect your personality. It should be consistent, authentic, and resonate with your target audience(which should mostly be you).
At this point, I sense an urgency to move forward, which is great — it’s time to take action!
After finding your brand voice, try to think of different situations and platforms on which you’ll use this voice and adapt it to them.
You can use and should use a casual tone when on social media, however for official communications, you might want to use a formal tone.
Let’s recap what we’ve covered here:
- Your audience is YOU. Everyone is welcome to join.
- Define your brand personality. It’s all about YOU and being in control.
- Find your brand voice by consistently releasing content until you discover what resonates with you.
- Adapt your brand tone to fit different situations as they arise.
Thanks for reading.
See you!
