Whether during an interview, in an ice breaker game, or on a first date, someone you’ve just met has likely asked you to describe yourself in three adjectives. (In case you’re wondering, mine are creative, determined, and laughs-at-own-jokes.)
Business leaders should do a version of this exercise when creating their digital brand strategy. However, instead of three adjectives, try more like twenty, forty, or even a hundred thoughtfully chosen words that represent not just what your business does but who you are.
A digital brand strategy dictates how you communicate your brand’s identity across digital platforms. It’s essential for solidifying your brand’s online persona and maintaining consistency across all channels. The goal is to intrigue your audience, inspire trust, and ultimately drive conversions. In terms of online marketing, you can’t have a digital marketing strategy without a brand strategy! Your brand should drive everything about your marketing initiatives: your audience, outreach methods, voice, design style, and even stock photo choices.
Why Is a Strong Digital Brand Strategy Important?
Just as you identify with various groups based on your traits and hobbies, companies should have a brand identity that resonates with prospective customers. For example, I’m likely to connect with other running enthusiasts who love cats and have a sweet tooth. Your company needs a strong sense of self across every digital channel to attract and engage your ideal customers.
A brand strategy is crucial because it reflects who you are consistently across all digital media and online platforms. It also guides which marketing channels to focus on to reach your target buyer persona. If your company develops an app to help young adults manage their finances, TikTok and Instagram are ideal platforms. If your company caters to the c-suite, LinkedIn and email marketing campaigns are more suitable. A consistent and engaging voice will keep new followers around and turn them into loyal customers.
Be sure you’re happy with your brand positioning before broadcasting it to the world. Remember, your brand strategy affects how everyone will think of you for the foreseeable future. It should reflect the essence of your organization beyond your products or services. Who are you really? What are your values? What makes your business unique? A strong digital brand strategy is crucial in building customer loyalty by showcasing your company’s values and uniqueness, fostering trust, and enhancing the overall perception of your brand.
What Should Digital Brand Strategies Include?
To ensure your new digital brand strategy is holistic and three-dimensional, refer to this list of brand strategy musts:
- Content style guidelines: A consistent brand voice and style are imperative for presenting a recognisable persona. For example, if your TikTok account is trendy but your website blog is overly formal, your audience may be confused. Established style guidelines ensure every representation of your brand matches your intended impression.
- In-depth content and product competitor analysis: Analysing both product and content competitors is key. It alerts you to who you’re up against and serves as inspiration for your brand strategy. It also highlights how to differentiate your brand persona to stand out. Your audience will notice if your digital presence is too similar to someone else’s.
- Audience profile: Determine your target audience and understand what makes them tick. How do they prefer to get information? On what platforms are they most active? What do you hope they do when they interact with your digital presence? Create a brand strategy roadmap that tracks a day in the life of your ideal buyer persona.
- Business goals: Define what you want to achieve. Do you want to boost revenue, build product awareness, or gain more respect in your industry? Performance marketing can help assign concrete values to your goals, determining whether your efforts are successful.
- Thoughtful, unique company values: Highlight your company’s values and commitments. Do you have a net zero plan? Do you source vegan ingredients? Do you support local nonprofits? Sharing these values can help build brand loyalty and recognition.
Where Do Digital Branding Strategies Intersect with Digital Marketing Plans?
A quick way to differentiate between digital branding strategies and digital marketing strategies is that branding defines a company, while marketing amplifies that brand across relevant channels. Your brand should shine through everything you publish externally (and internally too).
Integrated marketing—a multi-channel approach that revolves around achieving business goals—is an excellent way to disseminate your message far and wide. Guided by your brand guidelines, you can build targeted marketing campaigns that are authentic to your digital branding.
Brand Building = Being You
Creating a unique digital persona for your company is a big deal. It can be daunting when your competitors seem to have personalities that shine through their digital presence. The most important advice is to be authentic. Don’t try to fit your company into a mould that doesn’t suit it. Be you. Be bold. Get your message out there.
