The secret foundation for success on social media.

Do you ever feel like you’re not getting the engagement, reach, or conversions you want from your social media activities? You may have a content plan and even be consistent in delivering your social media strategy, but it’s just not working. So what’s missing? 

It’s okay, I got you!

What a lot of people forget is that social media, like your website, is a shop front for your business. But unlike a website, it goes one step further and allows you to directly interact with your audience, show your personality and promote brand advocates through your community. Having a brand strategy might be exactly what you need to fill the gaps in an otherwise solid and well-considered social strategy. 

Creating a brand strategy means you define:

👉 Your vision

What are the goals for your business? Once you know them, you can create strategies that will help you reach your goals with social media marketing. Some examples could be:

1. You want your company to be seen as an industry leader.
   Strategy: Create campaigns around current topics and lead conversations within your field.
2. You want to drive more traffic to the website.
   Strategy: Ensure every post has a compelling message with a strong call to action, so the audience clearly understands what to do after digesting your content.
3. You want to promote the personal brands of your team.
   Strategy: Bring people to the forefront of your social media by creating campaigns around meeting the team and crediting content directly to them.

👉 Your differentiator

What actually makes you different? Is it your product? Your higher purpose? Don’t forget, that whatever you think makes you different, it needs to be aligned with your audience. This will drive a lot of the core messaging you put on social media, so it’s a critical part of a successful brand strategy. Some examples could include:

1. Your approach is different from others, it’s more science-based or you take a more humanistic approach.
2. You’re innovative and doing something no one has done before. Again, this could be around a product that is innovative or a process, or your community.
3. Sustainability or a higher purpose, is there a social, economical, or political injustice that you’re helping others overcome? This is probably the strongest differentiator as it can be emotionally compelling for your audience, but only if it’s genuine. Never force a higher purpose!

It’s also good to remember when you’re showing how you’re different from competitors, never put your competition down. It’s not a pretty tactic and confident brands should be able to stand on their own two feet. 

👉 Your brand archetype 

A brand archetype is essentially the personality of your brand. There are 12 in total, that have been based on psychological traits that are familiar within society. Have you ever interacted with a brand and felt like you just “get” them straight away? It’s probably because they’re aligned to an archetype that resonates with you. Brand archetypes will help you define:

1. Your brand personality.
   Are you a jester, a caregiver, or an outlaw? Each of these, along with the other 9 archetypes will have a set of characteristics that define your brand personality, making it easier to align with your audience.
2. How to communicate with your audience.
   Once you’ve defined your personality. Your archetype will then define what an audience of chosen archetype looks like; their communication preference, how to engage them, and what they’ll expect from your brand.
3. Your tone of voice.
   Finally, put all of this into action with your tone of voice. This will consist of a personality trait that should come through your copy such as “honest”, “exciting” or “bold”.  When we do this at StrategiQ, we will then layer this will some real-life examples of statements that can be used across your social media. This helps to ensure the archetype works for you and can convey your message in the right way.

The brand strategy is best completed right at the very start of the social media strategy. 

Why?

Because you need to know who you are as a brand before you can understand those you want to ultimately influence and engage with on your social media channels. Now go get that brand strategy nailed! 

Keep your eyes peeled for part two where I’ll explain exactly what goes into a social media strategy at StrategiQ.

Can’t wait? Get in touch and we’ll help craft your brand and social media strategy with you today!