Have you ever been torn between buying two identical products? In the end, what made you choose one over the other? Think about it carefully – surely it wasn’t just the price. Perhaps it was the sense of security and transparency conveyed by their website, its original design, or their concise and clear messages on social media? All of this speaks volumes more than the price alone, and it requires constant effort behind the scenes to achieve. construction of image of the brand.
If you’re interested in everything to do with branding and building brand value, and applying these principles across all areas of the business: carry on reading!
An Introduction to Brand Building: Why is it so important?
Building a well-established, strong and clearly defined brand is essential for reaching the target audience you have previously identified, with the characteristics that matter most to you.
But, What exactly is brand image, and why is it so essential? This is the perception that consumers have of a brand. It goes beyond the logo and is built up through the customer experience, marketing messages, product quality and other factors. That is why it is so crucial to work on brand image, as it directly influences preference and customer loyalty.
A strong and positive brand image builds trust, sets the brand apart from the competition, and can encourage customers to choose and recommend the brand. Furthermore, a strong brand image can facilitate the launch of new products and contribute to the company’s long-term success.
Are brand image and brand identity the same thing?
The short answer would be no, they are not the same thing, but let’s explain the difference between these two concepts – which are often confused – in more detail: whilst brand identity is the controlled and planned version of how the brand wants to be seen, brand image is the actual perception experienced by consumers, and both are essential for building and maintaining a successful brand.
Brand image is how consumers perceive and experience the brand. It is the emotional and cognitive response people have towards a brand’s products, services and messages. However, not everything is left to chance. Brand image is built through brand identity, the actions of marketing, company policies and the quality of the products or services it offers, which are shaped by consumers’ interaction with all these aspects over time.
On the other hand, brand identity refers to how the brand sees itself, how it wishes to be perceived, and the visual and verbal elements it uses to represent itself. This includes aspects such as the logo, corporate colours, tone of voice, brand values and mission. Brand identity is indeed under the company’s control, and considerable effort must be put into it to ensure that the image reflects the values the company wishes to convey as closely as possible.
How can a company’s brand image and brand identity be extended to its social media channels?
Nowadays, there is a golden rule for any company that wants to be successful and enjoy a long-standing career: they must have online presence, particularly on social media. These are an essential channel for communication efficient and direct communication with users; as well as a perfect opportunity to practise active listening and make an impact with advertising campaigns. However, for any social media strategy to be successful, you’ll first need to work on your brand image on these channels. Let’s take a look at how to establish your brand image on company profiles, step by step!
- Defining brand identity: establishes the company’s visual identity (logo, colours, typefaces) and verbal identity (tone of voice, key messages).
- Select platforms: Identify the online platforms relevant to your industry and target audience (e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).
- Create consistent profiles: Use the same username, logo and description across all platforms to maintain brand consistency.
- Optimise profiles: Fill in all the profile fields, including detailed information about the company, links to websites and contact details.
- Use visual brand elements: Upload the logo in high resolution and use the brand’s colours and visual elements consistently.
- Develop engaging visual content: Share images and graphics that reflect the brand’s identity. Make sure the images are of high quality.
- Define a content strategy: Plan what type of content you will share and how often. Make sure the content is in line with the brand’s identity and values.
- Engaging with the audience: Respond to comments and messages in a professional manner and take part in relevant industry discussions.
- Post content regularly: Maintain an active presence by regularly posting interesting and valuable content for your audience.
- Monitor analytics: use the analytics tools provided by the platforms to assess the performance of your profiles and adjust your strategy based on the results.
- Request testimonials and reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave testimonials and reviews on your profiles, thereby strengthening your brand’s reputation.
- Promote profiles: include links to your profiles on your website, in emails and on other marketing channels.
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