Your brand needs personality on social media

Social media doesn’t feel very “social” when you’re just another face in the crowd. With apps that make it super simple to re-post, its easy to throw in the towel. But something to keep in mind is that you will experience a clear drop in engagement if you step away entirely and have a generic presence. The key is to know what your followers enjoy about your brand. . and you. Look at the likes of Zara, Starbucks or Gary Vaynerchuk with their rabid followers and wonder how we can replicate just a fraction of their performance.

The reality, though? If you’re struggling to stand out as a brand, you’re definitely not alone. No, seriously. Based on a recent study, brand awareness represents social marketers’ top priority right now.

But given how competitive the modern social landscape has become, perhaps this isn’t much of a surprise.

With more and more people taking to social media to research and sound off on brands, getting your target audience’s attention is easier said than done.

So what does an effective brand awareness strategy look like, anyway? How do you become a familiar face within your followers’ feeds versus someone they just scroll past?

It's tough! But I highlighted twelve strategies that I think businesses of all sizes can take to boost their brand awareness. From fine-tuning your profile to experimenting with your content, any combination of these tips are fair game.

And with that, let’s begin! Shall we?

Your brand needs personality on social media

First thing’s first: your social media presence shouldn’t look like everyone else’s. And while this may seem obvious, many brands fall into the trap of becoming robotic. They play it totally safe. They post a picture or link, tack on a few hashtags and call it a day. Here’s the deal, though: that’s not how you stand out. Not by a long shot.

Moonpie is a shining example of a seemingly “boring” brand that’s exploded in popularity because of their distinct voice and sense of humor.

Sure, it’d be easy for them to post generic promos. However, it’s their off-the-wall personality that’s made them so endearing to followers.

And “personal” is the keyword here. Followers want to see more than promos and links: they want personal, human-centric content. That’s why selfies and story-driven posts typically perform so well.

Instagram pages like that of Humans of New York post almost exclusively story-based content.

They’ve amassed nearly 8 million followers solely through tugging at the heartstrings of their fans. Marketers are told time and time again to create “unique” content. It might sound corny, but the person behind your social presence represents a one-of-a-kind voice.

Before you hit “post,” make a point to ask yourself: “Does this sound like something a bot would say?” Building buzz around your brand might take a bit of experimenting, but having a dedicated awareness strategy remains the number one concern of businesses today. If you’ve been struggling to figure out how to increase brand awareness, what’s been tripping you up? Whatever it is, our team can help! Any readers of this post, feel free to contact me directly by emailing me - [email protected] or send me a message on LinkedIn. We can help you get started with consistent, creative, effective content that will keep your brand in front of your targeted audience so you can get back to work. Talk soon! - J