Uncommon has teamed up with Director of London based creative agency Charle, Nic Dunn to share his top factors that companies miss when building a digital presence for their brand.

Building a strong brand strategy

In our experience, we see time and time again companies undervaluing the importance of a strong brand strategy when building a digital presence. You might have the best idea or business in the world, but if you haven’t considered your brand identity. You may lose potential customers from the moment they see you.

The truth is, people, love to fall in love with a brand, a brand they can believe in, a brand they can get behind and invest. Your brand strategy should start from your values, then be followed by the emotion you wish to evoke.

You need to combine that with some strong competitor research and you have the strong foundations to start your strategy. Design and aesthetics should always be built on governing foundations. We never rush a brand strategy and we never rush a brand identity.

Don’t get idle on your brand continuity

We understand business is hard. Business is a hustle and the last thing you are worried about is whether your Instagram feed has a similar persona to your website and similarly across the rest of your media. Remember, every time your customers or prospective customer see or hear from your company. It is an opportunity to trade and build a relationship.

We hear time and time again “having a great website just isn’t a priority for us”. The only bespoke media outlet you have to showcase the incredible services you company officers and you want that to be sub-standard, think again. Your website, your marketing content and social media feed are snapshots to your company. The snapshot that any of your future business will judge to decide whether to pursue a working relationship with you. Our advice is to not underestimate it.

Never give up on your digital presence, results take time

Building a brand isn’t quick, it takes time, patience and a consistent strategy. Slowly reinforcing your identity and services over months not days will have a bigger impact than you might think. Admittedly you might not see a lot of traction with organic growth over the first three months but believe us when we say. Put a little bit of work in now and you will reap the rewards. Nearly every digital platform such as Google search and Instagram value regular and consistent updates.

The biggest cause of failure in our experience is companies who start strong with a great strategy to tell the world about their company then give up because they feel it’s not working. Some customers may not convert for many months after the time they first were introduced to you.

Evaluate

Test the method, there are endless numbers of free analytic tools you can use and implement to assess your brand strategy. For example, install Google Analytics on your website and assess your website traffic. Try a few different techniques over three months and see what works best for your brand. Instagram has a free analysis tool to show you who your main audience is, and which posts are the most popular.

Take 30 minutes out of your day twice a month and look at this data and brainstorm ways you can improve. Strategy formation is simply based on looking at what works and what doesn’t.

Execution is Key

Our final point is in the execution of your strategy to tell the world about your business. If you don’t think your website is comparable to competitors and you’re not sure how to improve it. Look into investing in professional consultancy, make sure to research their previous work and check it matches your needs.

Meet up with at least three consultants to discuss what they can offer you for your budget, it is also a great way to find out what your website or digital presence is lacking and help you decide your priorities.

If you have any questions, need advice or would like us to assess your brand strategy & digital presence please do not hesitate to reach out – [email protected]. Or check out our team – www.charle.co.uk