Digital Brand Strategy Blog Series, Part 2: Know Yourself (Define & Differentiate)

We recently started a blog series on Digital Brand Strategy. This is the second part of this 5-part series. In Part 1, we introduced a high-level overview of digital brand strategy and discussed why it was critical for organizations to have one in place. In this next part, we’ll look at the first of four keys for a successful digital brand strategy.

When it comes to your business and your brand, YOU are the expert of you. In theory, no one can understand or communicate your own unique business values or value to the extent that you can. I often meet with business owners and leaders and it is eye-opening how many of them struggle to easily or adequately define what it is that their business does. If it is difficult for the business owner to communicate what their business or brand is all about, you can understand how hard it would be for a potential customer or client to do so.

For business owners, it is paramount that you know your own business well and can articulate and accentuate the unique value your organization provides. At Enthuse Creative, we have developed a framework that is helpful for going about this process. We start building and communicating brand strategy by thinking in terms of the 4 P’s: your purpose [WHY?], practice (for a services-based business) or product (for a product-based business) [WHAT?], and process [HOW?]. This is a simple, scalable framework that can be used to help develop or assess a brand for the first time or in consideration of a rebranding effort.

In today’s competitive digital landscape, where attention spans are short and opportunities for distraction are ever-present, you must not only emphasize what makes you different, but also what makes you distinct.  Now more than ever, it is important that you don’t just own your business, but you also own your brand. Among other things, this means own your brand identity, inclusive of all aspects of your brand, from the tangible to the intangible, the internal and the customer-facing. Consumers need to know that you care about what you promote and how you are perceived. Careful consideration of the 4 P’s mentioned above will help ensure that you don’t fall victim to indifference or lack of clarity.

Your organization should develop multiple methods to communicate the unique thing that you do concisely and consistently across the digital channels where you have a presence. It takes intentionality to weave this into everything you do. Everyone is trying to be different. We believe that branding in today’s market requires going beyond finding and highlighting “differentiators” to finding “distinguishers” that help you truly stand out in the market.

Modern media and communication tools afford many ways to not only tell your customers who you are and what you do, but also to show them. Whether it is your expertise, experience, or financial or social impact, it’s not enough in today’s market to declare something, you must demonstrate it as well.

You should also make an effort to understand your competition and carefully consider where you are digitally positioned in the mind of your customer. Asking your customers about how you project yourself or how they perceive you is the best way to gain insight into the relative strength or weakness of your digital positioning. This exercise is worth the effort because it will result in more meaningful and ultimately profitable work, because you will be able to better align expertise with opportunity and spend more time working in your “sweet spot” and less time looking for and serving clients that are not the best fit for you.

So, what are some steps you can take to own your brand in today’s rapidly changing digital environment? An important first step is to make sure you’ve laid claim to all your “digital name” properties, such as domain name, social usernames, etc. and that they align and are consistent across all channels. Another vital step is to develop clear brand guidelines and standards that govern how your brand image is understood and communicated on your own digital channels and “in the digital wild” where your brand may show up. Another key step is to develop and utilize a brand language that expresses your brand identity and personality through written copy in a voice/tone that is consistent with how you have positioned your business in the real world. Think of it this way, if your brand were a living, breathing human being, how would it naturally speak and behave? Understanding this will allow you to consistently communicate who you are in a way that is engaging and endearing.

A wise person once said, “don’t do what you don’t do.” To this end, as you think about your digital brand strategy, as a first step, get to know yourself. A thorough understanding and ownership of who you are, including what makes you distinct from others is where you should begin. Next, go deeper to develop a visual and verbal system that extends and codifies this identity to your internal and external community. After you have developed an understanding of yourself, step two is to Know Your Audience, which we will examine in the next blog in this series.

Enthuse Creative, LLC is a Northern Virginia (Tysons)-based brand consulting and design firm that specializes in developing brand-focused strategy and creative work for businesses and organizations, from startups to nonprofits. A major focus of its business is providing training and tools to help businesses improve their digital brand strategy and presence.

If your business needs assistance with digital branding, please contact Enthuse Creative for a free consultation.