You know the old saying, “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression”? Well, this sentiment applies to your brand, too.
It’s imperative to make a great first impression via your website & social media, as these platforms are where your customers are landing to browse & learn more about your offering. If your website looks tired, outdated, uninspiring or is simply unable to be found because of SEO [Search Engine Optimisation] or you might not yet have one, then it’s time to take a closer look at your digital assets.
Your branding, logo, website & social media pages are being subconsciously (& consciously) judged by people every day. Let’s be honest, we all do it. It’s vital that all aspects of your business are being looked after for them to be impactful.
Before launching your business or embarking on a promotional journey via PR or advertising, we’d suggest looking at all your ‘digital ducks’ & assessing where they’re at.
Ask yourself, Are our digital platforms operating how they should? Are they going to entice & convert our customer? Is our offering clear to our customer? What is our call to action? These are just some of the questions you should ask yourself to ensure your ‘digital ducks’ are in a row.
The following areas of your digital brand need to be roaring before you can even think about promoting your business:
1. Website & SEO
We’re calling it – your website is the single most important part of your business. Yes, having products or a service to sell is obviously a key component, but there’s no point having an amazing business, if you don’t have a functioning website. In this day & age, your website is the face & digital ‘shop front’ of your brand. If people don’t like what they see or can’t find you in the first place, you need to look at a website re-design & engage someone to help with your SEO. There are a number of SEO techniques that help to make your website more discoverable, including key word optimisation, adding alt text to your images & making sure you hit the recommended word length & style. If this all sounds a bit too tech-y for you, don’t stress, that’s what we’re here for!
For any brand or business considering engaging a PR agency to help build brand awareness, it’s crucial to have a website that works & is going to captivate your audience & convert them into loyalists.
2. Branding & Design
Having a clear brand identity & aesthetic is more important now than ever before. You need to stand out amongst other brands & competitors, & one of the best ways to do this is through branding & design. Humans are visual beings, so colour schemes, symbols & layouts play a significant role in customer decision making & purchase behaviour. When it comes to branding, the devil is truly in the detail.
Branding is much more than your logo. It’s your name, colours, fonts, tone of voice – all the intangible aspects of your brand that help to shape a customer’s perception of you.
3. Social Media
It’s safe to say that Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin & now, TikTok play a huge role in sales & marketing for brands. Therefore, it’s so important to have a presence on the platforms that are relevant for your business. Social Media is a big beast to tackle for a brand, so start here:
- Choose the relevant platforms for your audience – you don’t need to have them all
- Ensure you have a clear strategy in place that communicates your brand messaging & has clear call to actions, always
- Create a community – this is the best way to get to know your audience on a more intimate level & ensure you are always ‘giving your customer what they want’
Social Media Management can be an overwhelming & all-consuming for those that don’t have the time or energy for it. Outsourcing is a great way to ensure that your social media channels are on track & freeing up your time to focus on what you do best.
4. Photography/Videography
It’s been said for years, ‘Content is King’. Having unique, aesthetic visual content that’s your own is invaluable & doesn’t have to break the bank. Stock images have a time & place, sure. But creating personal content that’s tailored to you & your business is a lot more impactful & plays an important role in shaping your brand identity. You can use this across your website, social media, marketing collateral or any external branded material, too, which helps to create consistency – which is key to a strong brand. Again, it’s a small but important detail that needs to be taken into consideration.
Whether you need help developing a killer website, social media strategy, knock out photo & video content or the lot, Straight Up Studio is here to help. We’re your people! Send us an email at Hannah@StraightUpStudio.com.au to tell us more about your brand & needs, & we’ll let you know how we can help.
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