How can you build a strong sense of community and belonging through branding?

Jim Stengel, then CMO for P&G, told me the most important thing in marketing: You can never know your customers too well. Don't start with brand values and purpose. Start with your customers. Find out their needs, their interests, who they are, where they are, what they like about you and what they don't. That should drive everything else. You should be listening to what your customers say you are, not trying to tell them that. If there's a divergence between what they say and what you are aiming for, then do the things that will make your audience change its opinion. Your brand values and purpose are determined by what you do. If you don't know that, then your statements will likely be BS.

Brand values must live beyond a page on a website or report no-one ever looks at. As an expression of what is most important to the brand, they must be the red thread that runs through all its actions. For that to happen, the grand vision of the core values must be translated into discernible and measurable outcomes.

There are 3 things that I have stuck to while being on this journey as a content writer: 1. Never compromise on Quality 2. Understand and know your customers vision before you start 3. Build a transformational relationship and not a transactional one with people around you As a content writer, my vision is to help out the brands that are just beginning in the market to help them navigate through finding their target audience. One of my strongest values is to uplift the people I work with and never to belittle someone.

Defining brand values and purpose is key in digital marketing. Start by understanding your audience deeply - their needs, values, and lifestyle. Align your brand values with this insight, ensuring they're not just words on a page but actions in your campaigns and services. Regularly seek feedback to keep your brand aligned with customer perceptions. Translate values into measurable actions and consistent storytelling across all platforms, creating an authentic, engaging narrative that resonates with your audience and builds a community around your brand.

Brand Values and Purposes are beyond pasting jargon on a website. Case Studies/ Project Outcomes are the best ways to illustrate the same. In my opinion, Dyson serves as an exemplary brand, skillfully intertwining its values into initiatives like the James Dyson Foundation and the James Dyson Award, which reflect the essence of Dyson's DNA and product lineup. As a consumer, I find satisfaction in supporting brands that champion principles larger than their own existence. This sets Dyson apart as a frontrunner, distinguishing it from other brands that merely replicate their products without being able to replicate Dyson's distinctive values and purpose in action.

In brand marketing consistency is key. Is your logo unique and identifiable? Does it reflect what you stand for? Don't underestimate the power of compelling design and how it can affect your customer experience and bottom line.

A consistent brand identity sets uniformity and acts like a musical chorus for the overall brand impact. The cognitive effect to consumers is the immediate brand recall and a longer brand memory retention. It's extremely important in today's highly competitive chaos.

Ensure each piece of content speaks back to your brand, who you are helping and how they value the content. Work to ensure your words match your actions. If your values are that “all voices are heard”, for example, how are you showing up in the market to reflect that statement. Following through with action will create a community.

Crafting a consistent brand identity and voice fosters community by establishing familiarity and reliability. Maintain uniform visual elements, logos, and color schemes across platforms, reinforcing recognition. Develop a consistent brand tone and language that resonates with your audience, creating an emotional connection. Align this voice with your brand values, conveying authenticity. Consistency in messaging and visual representation builds trust and cultivates a sense of belonging, allowing your audience to feel part of a cohesive brand community.

Begin by creating a 'canon' that everyone in your company can follow. A canon is the brands meaning, mission, and ethics. It would contain the language you use and the logos you place 100% of the time, regardless of the campaign's creative.

Involving your customers in your brand story will undoubtedly take your brand to the next level. Whether it’s UGC or testimonials, the more you share your customer’s success story and involve them in your brand strategy, the more authentic and relatable your brand will be perceived.

In my opinion, brand narratives weave the word-of-mouth. They are the hot-bed for our day-to-day conversations, used as fillers by consumers. And, people love to share informations that are valuable for others. So, until unless the stories have a conversational style and some practical value, the chances of it involving audience is minimal.

UGC has become a hot topic for business owners. If there is one thing that hasn't changed much over the last several decades, it's that when someone speaks well of a brand and believes in that brand's values, that can be the most beneficial way to drive sales than any other form of marketing. From my experience getting positive reviews, comments about the good a company has contributed to someone's life, or having people back up your company in any ways shines such a bright spotlight on that brand, there's not much that can take that away.

Brand storytelling is one of the best ways to involve your customers in your community. For centuries, people have bonded around stories. Even something as simple as the campfire experience brings people together. Stories help explain our place in the world. They draw us in through shared experiences and a shared identity. Don't be afraid to let your customers know what you're all about. Was your product or service created to serve some sort of unique need? What's the background of your founders? Post visually compelling pics on your website. Encourage your customers to submit stories about their experiences with your product and use and monitor your social media channels to get the word out.

A brand history that is shared both internally and with your customers is vital. People affiliate when they know the back story, the 'canon', values, ethics, and the foundation of the business or brand.

One of the best ways to build a community around your brand is through social media (paid and organic advertising). Whether your company is B2B, B2C, or DTC, social media marketing is an effective strategy for engaging with your target audience, giving them a sense of belonging, and making them feel heard. For example, B2B enterprises can use LinkedIn surveys to drive engagement and brand awareness at the same time. Asking prospects to share their opinion makes them feel valued because they're contributing to a discussion that matters to them. At the same time, conducting surveys online is an excellent way to gather insights about a certain topic and can help shape your content strategy.

Yes, the interaction is quite important and the brand should recognize the contributions. Publicly thank and acknowledge community members who meaningfully participate, contribute ideas, help others, etc. Recognition fosters stronger bonds.

If you keep telling a compelling story about your company's mission and purpose, you'll see that you will create 'fans'. Allies who are rooting for the same causes and who will reach out to you. Be generous to them too. I believe every company is part of a community or a system - 'the bigger picture', even. Let's acknowledge that.

I still remember beginning my journey as a content writer, but long before that, I was very troubled and introverted kid, a kid who had been repeatedly bullied and abused as a kid in school. For many years, I kept asking why did this situation happen to me, but it was only later after I completed my Engineering, and when I took up the role of a youth coach and mentor, to guide students in building their confidence and self-esteem, was I able to share my story and journey with them. With a true and authentic story, your brand will soon turn into people who would love to listen to you, even if there are 100 others out there in the same field.

Social media pros are great at building community through brand values and purpose. Customers buy in when they see how others experience the product. Most humans are social and long to be part of a community. Don't push a hard sell. Just continue to put out relevant and engaging content and your business will thrive.

Communicating an environmental purpose has become a weapon for value proposition for brands these days. In order to create striking differentiation from their competitors and achieving short-term sales, brands are using false and deceptive claims about their products being more eco-friendly, made from organic materials and blah blah.....But in reality, very few brands are transparently communicating about their environmental friendliness. The skepticism among the conscious consumers is rising and it becomes important for genuine brands to add granularity in their environmental stories in order to maintain a consumer trust. Quantifiable insights to brand's environmental claims will stand out in winning a long term trust of consumers.

Today's consumer is quite conscious of a brand's social responsibility. They want to feel as if they played a part in making the world a better place. In relaying your company's mission and vision, it's important to be sincere. Savvy consumers can spot if a company is greenwashing. Show them how your product and service has been a positive change in the world. Use stories on your website. Put interesting information on your labels so consumers know that what they are buying will make a difference.

Social responsibility is a double-edged sword. Not all constituencies will respond to the same aspirations. It is always best to represent your canon, values, and ethics, over specific acts, unless those acts are universally beneficial.

Engaging with your audience beyond your field of expertise can be beneficial. Responding to comments or inquiries outside your immediate area can lead to valuable discussions and even inspire new content ideas. Researching and discussing these topics not only show responsiveness but also demonstrate a broader commitment to social engagement and awareness. It's a great way to expand your brand's relevance and connect with a wider audience by addressing diverse interests and concerns.

One important thing in keeping your brand rooted in values but still present and vibrant in what's going on in the world is to pick up on news, trends, and current narratives. Put time into finding out how your brand relates to them and how your values translate into action right now. Contribute to movements, enrich discussions, participate in actions and remember that there is no such thing as "zero communication". You are always communicating in some way, so better make it intentional.

Evolving and innovating your brand means constantly tweaking and improving your customer experience. Too many times I've been on company websites that fail in terms of function. Perhaps there's a glitch as I enter data to get to the shopping cart. Maybe the website lacked enough detail to help me make an informed purchasing decision. Take the time to run through the process yourself to be sure it's functional or your customers will head to the competition. After all, it's only a click away.

To create a sense of community and belonging with your brand, you need two things: 1. Your audience needs to feel like they belong (i.e., you need to demonstrate that you understand them and are one of them. 2. People need to want to be there (i.e., your brand needs to be attractive and pleasant to be around). To work on your chances, work on these two things.

Optimizing your content with SEO keywords is vital for visibility and discoverability. Hashtags play a significant role in expanding the reach of your content across social media platforms. They act as keys to unlocking visibility within specific topics or themes. Strategic use of relevant hashtags can significantly improve your content's discoverability, making it easier for your target audience to find and engage with your posts. Integrating both SEO keywords and hashtags effectively maximizes the potential for your content to reach a larger audience.