How To Build A Brand You’re Proud Of

I don't know whether it's my job or the fact I live in London. But I see so many people trying to build a brand for themselves online, from promoting their small businesses to posing around Brick Lane and Canary Wharf. People are determined to be that inspiring or edgy one people follow on social media; it's not news to us that people act like this…but it feels more frequent of late.

My previous employer was the epitome of the online entrepreneur; she had contributor accounts of almost every business magazine, a series of books that were consistently on her stories, and the balance she struck between promoting her business and personal life was impressive. To those following her, I imagine she came across as a down to earth, intelligent, happy, and motivated person. Every now and again, I scroll through her feed and see what's changed. She rarely posts, but when she does, it's with the purpose of further supporting that brand image.

To be candid, I think having that brand was a massive priority for her. I still vividly remember being gifted a signed copy of her book after she gave me a panic attack.

I'd like to think I'm not as hard-core. But I'm proud of the brand I've built for myself, both on my blog and on Instagram. It's authentic, chatty, and educational; I've managed to create a space on the internet that's everything I love and care about. Since I started Steph Writes Stuff, I've seen so many people come and go from their accounts; I've seen friends go from 2,000 followers to 20K in a little under a year. I've encouraged (now former) friends to set up their own accounts, only to see them mess it up or steal my content. It's been a journey, but It's influenced my work, and it's made me a better person. It's one of the things I love about social media; I can create a space to share my thoughts and connect with people who share or want to share my values.

Suppose you're thinking of starting your own page or struggling to make your page your baby. I want you to ask yourself a few of these questions and see if you can take the changed perspective with you.

What do you want to achieve personally?

What are your goals? Why have you even started to build a brand in the first place? There is a reason you decided to start building your brand in the first place. Perhaps you felt like you had something interesting to say that others might like. You may be using your brand to leverage job opportunities that are only possible with a presence. Or you might just be looking for clout and compliments. Any of the above reasons are fine; I'm sure if we sat down for longer, we could think more into it. But my point is, identifying the reason you want to build a brand is vital. It lays the foundation for strategy, gives you the power to answer the questions below this one, and lets you accept the fact you're passionate about social media for a reason.

Do you know who you want to target?

Who wants to hear what you have to say? Sitting down and figuring out your target audience can sculpt your brand in more intricate ways than a cute photo. For example, my main target for this blog is marketers. I don't feel the need to explain the basics of social media marketing or define the terms because I hope that the people on my site already know them. At the very least, I hope they have the intellect to Google them if not.

On my Instagram, I post a mixture of personal photos and info graphs, covering changes in the world of social media marketing. The likes for the graphics rarely surpass the lifestyle photos, but I know they reach more people and are shared more frequently. I'm reaching my audience and doing my job, even if I'm the only one who can see that right now.

What do you feel you can add to the conversation?

It's okay if not. But it's always handy to add to the conversation. I was always told to end posts with open-ended questions when I started out. It was a great way for followers to comment and connect with one another. I'm sure as attitudes have changed, this method is not really encouraged, but it got the people talking, and that's what matters.

Does everything you put out to serve a purpose?

Suppose it doesn't benefit your followers or align with your brand, bin it. Keep a consistent theme on your page, and if you decide to stray away from it, there must be at least one benefit of the post. Here's a silly example;

A politics blogger, who regularly shares stock images of politicians and news clippings on Twitter, randomly decides to post a picture of his morning coffee…does that make sense?

At face value, absolutely not. You follow this guy to see politics news, right? You didn't follow him for a random cup of cold coffee to pop up on your feed; it makes no sense.

On the other side, my mother has been complaining about Mrs Hinch for months. Why? She doesn't like seeing the baby photos she posts. My Mom's got more into Instagram since I left university but constantly frets about whether people will know if she unfollows them.

"I followed her for cleaning tips, not for the baby," she said to me once.

Me, "why don't you want to see the baby."

Mom: "She's Mrs Hinch's Cleaning Tips,"

Me, "Well, she doesn't just talk about cleaning tips, does she? She posts pictures of the dog-"

"I like the dog," she interrupted.

"Yeah, I know, but the point is she doesn't exclusively post cleaning tips. She posts a lot about her life and her babies apart of that. You may not like it, but it definitely fits her posts".

Connect and build a network

Devote time to building a network of friends and followers. I'm really lucky to still be connected to people from the first few days of SWS. Having virtual friends to shout about your successes and engage with your content is great; it helps you stay interested in posting and helps build your brand through engagement. There's no real strategy behind it either, just find pages you like and vibe with and stick around to see what they have to say!

Pay attention to the details.

Typos, weird face tune moments, or even your bra is poking out of a selfie. Make sure you're 100% happy with each post, and you're confident that it fits your strategy. I've had several face palm moments where I've posted infographics with typos or forgot to add information. Followers have messaged me to let me know, but it's normally way too late to take it down. I can't stand it!

There are 1000% ways you can cultivate a following and a brand you're proud of online. But the one big tip I can pass on is patience. You don't go viral overnight, and you won't be the next Kylie Jenner this time next year; it takes hard work and dedication to what you're doing. As I mentioned earlier, I've seen friends pick the habit up and drop it quicker than a hot poker. It's hard to see people give up, but it's even harder to see people give it 20% instead of 100%.

Be patient if you want it and are willing to work for it. It will come.