Just last year, there was this famous bank in the Philippines that got caught in an intriguing money laundering issue. Money laundering is, from the wording itself, mixing in illicit money with legitimate cash flow, therefore “cleaning” your money in the process. The money was apparently coursed over multiple banks and networks, making it whiter than snow by the time it arrived at its final destination. (If you’re a frequent reader of this blog, you know how fond I am of providing context and stories before getting to the meat of the discussion. You’ll get tips on using Instagram for PC in a bit, I promise. Just stay with me, okay?)
Anyway. Over $81 billion worth of assets have been successfully withdrawn through the bank in 2016, making it quite the money heist. It was all done digitally through some expert hackwork, and it even involved multiple lawsuits, hearings, and banks!
For bank patrons, this is definitely a nightmare. What if the bank was sued so hard it decided to claim bankruptcy? What if you’re an honest-to-goodness stock broker that invests in a bank, and then you learn this news over your morning coffee? It’s definitely a day breaker for most of us, and we can only imagine how bad this is in the face of the executives of that bank. Who would trust you after that? Even your foreign clients are at risk.
The Big Bank Makeover
A year later, the said bank underwent a makeover. It had the whole shebang; left and right press releases, new taglines, lots of interviews with bigwigs. Even the logo was stripped clean and was under a new color with a slimmer look. This has been the company’s eighth change of branding. The funny thing is, it worked and it will continue to work no matter how big the blunder or how bad the reputation of your brand is. Reputations are public perceptions. Perceptions drive change, business, and ideas from head to heart.
This brings us to today’s topic: branding. Corporate branding is an important tool for any business regardless of size and industry. Your branding affects not just how people see you from outside, but also how your own people inside perceive you, your values, and your reputation. Like a country’s flag, your brand aesthetic and messages define the business as much as you define it. That’s why rebrandings are quite the expensive spectacles. It costs the hiring of think tanks, resources, and most of all, your previous brand capital would be at risk. Your brand is a promise, and promises are best seen than, well, promised.
Your Branding On Instagram For PC And Mobile
There are over 190 million companies in the world. Basically, you’re just one of an entire ocean of them.
Regardless if you were divided in different fields or sectors, you are still competing for people’s money and affection. How does one stand in the face of it all? What can you do to make your brand different and actually stand out against the competition? You guessed it right: branding.
We are under the assumption that A) you are an excellent provider of service or goods no matter what your actual niche is, and B) you actually have an honest disposition as seen in your company mission and vision. The next step is to build your brand.
But herein lies the question: How exactly do we build a brand? Let’s take a look at three easy steps.
Step 1. Start with your own Brand Audit.
This is the fun part. We might sound like an old guru of sorts, but before you build on how people see you, you must first see yourself. The first step in looking deep intrapersonally is to do an audit. No no, don’t worry, this audit is not the painful, accounting kind. Audits reveal a lot of unseen or forgotten values in companies. This audit is all about analyzing your company. Ask your employees, or ask your co-founders as well. The important thing is that you get to ask them these five questions:
- What do we provide the best?
- Who do we talk to first if we want to sell our products?
- What’s our weaknesses?
- What is our most consistent strength as a brand?
- How do we see ourselves as a symbol (or aesthetically)?
Now hopefully, these questions will start you on building or rebuilding your values from the core.
Step 2. Bring them the Aesthetics!
Remember the question above? Who do you want to attract as customers? These are the guys who you want to aesthetically associate with. What are their behaviors? What are their attitudes when it comes to spending? You see, markets have a distinct preference when it comes to logos. In the 70s, the curvy, groovy fonts and logos were all the rage! They had rather contrasting color choices, consistent with the rebellious nature of the people then.
In the 80s, brands liked to use negative space. Like, a LOT. It’s as if every logo incorporated that smart, albeit overused, technique during that time period. Though if I were to be perfectly honest, these logos are a bit jarring to look at now. Even way back then, they looked a bit too “computerized” because that was the emerging tech of the decade.
Let’s fast forward a bit to 2018. From 2018 to present, we love minimalist art. We watch Marie Kondo, declutter every season, and honestly, we’re running out of space to live in. Take a look at some of the trending branding designs in the present:
Being aware of your colors, visuals, and self-assessments can bring a world of difference. After you’ve found your visual center, you now need to step your brand up a notch.
Step 3. Reach out and get out!
The last step is all about putting yourself out there! Reach the farthest recesses of your niche. Make sure that you’re the top-of-mind brand and vision. Take up space, set-up some tarps, and let your brand sing. The longer you hold on to that brand, the better your grasp in the market is. This also spells consistency and this is your friend. Can you imagine if KFC suddenly switched their colors to pink and white? That would be so weird and quite unimaginable.
Getting Your Brand On Instagram For PC And Mobile
Great, so is that it? My business is already sporting the best location there is!
Now most people think, “Hey, I’m pretty well-known in my city, I think I can do well here!” That’s correct. One of the best ways to market yourself (sometimes for free) is through your common location and connections. That’s why bars hire only the best bartenders that are excellent conversationalists, too! You build a bond with your market by just checking in with their day once they enter your shop. If you see them at the local grocery store, a simple wave is already your brand that you are a good-natured salesman. So that’s the first one: building conversations in your locale.
Next, you need to build your brand online. If you’re already a successful business owner wherever you are, you might think that this is a waste of time. We will actually agree with you, if your only business goal is to reach a few hundred people at most. Your niches will either grow smaller every year, or just retain its size. But what if you are thinking of spreading your services to other states? What do you do? How do you attract them?
First, the website. Then, the world.
Did you know that 88% of consumers check out a product online first before deciding a purchase? That’s the world we live in right now, folks. We are in an e-commerce community where we value peer-reviews the most, and not just the cool pictures of the product we see in brochures (like those old make-up catalogues in the last two decades). Once they type out, “Best shoe shops in my location” in a search engine, the first access point is your website. Going with the flow in making your own website is a timeless recommendation we’re going to make.
Not all websites are created equal, though.
Consumers are very picky when it comes to your website. Interesting tidbit: websites that load for more than two seconds are likely to be abandoned by 47% of users. Also, something a bit more alarming: it only takes .05 seconds for them to judge your website, and your branding plays a huge role in this. But of course, once you get the right branding, this is not an issue anymore.
Judgmental customers aside, you also have to reach social media when it comes to branding. Social media is like today’s television. If brands wanted to make impressions before, you had to have a lot of moolah just to get a 10-second break in prime time. Now, social media takes care of your brand marketing, and it does it for free. Of course, you can pay to turn splashes to waves, but that’s another story. If you’re thinking of which social media channel to use first, we recommend Instagram. That’s right: We mean Instagram for PC and mobile audiences.
Why You Should Be On Instagram For PC And Mobile Users
- Instagram has over 1 billion active users, so it’s an excellent choice for brand exposure.
- In those 1 billion active users, 33% of those make purchases by what they see on Instagram.
- Around 75% of Instagram users take action (e.g. visit a website, click a link) after looking at an ad.
The challenge is, Instagram works in two platforms: Mobile and Desktop. Getting the hang of mobile marketing is actually faster. The real challenge is how to make your brand shine in desktop.
Why should your brand even consider Instagram desktop users? Well for one, employees are more likely to get caught using their phones at work and it’s a lot easier to fake working on a laptop… Okay, that was a joke (kinda). Users using Instagram on desktop are actually a bit more dedicated on the platform. The Verge actually did an interview with some of its employees in Racked. Eliza is a fan of the desktop platform of Instagram, and she enumerated some of the advantages of it in the big screen then the mobile one.
How Instagram For PC Beats Mobile
- The images are bigger, more lifelike, and elicit more commitment from users. She likens it to reading a magazine.
- Controls are less clunky. No more accidentally liking an image from over 100 weeks ago!
- Desktop is quieter, and more intimate. Push notifications are minimal (unless of course you allow them notifications), and users are naturally more relaxed.
- You can post longer videos on IGTV! This is great for vloggers!
- For serious content creators, using Instagram on desktop makes it easier to transfer images from Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom to the site.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve had ideas for your brand audit and had a bit more time to take a look at your brand from an intrapersonal and a public perspective, you hopefully were a bit more aware of its importance. Start your branding through an audit, tinker with your colors and shapes and visuals, and present yourself proudly to the world. All businesses deserve that advantage, including yours!
A business is bigger than its sales; aesthetics can bridge the gap between an effective service provider and an expanding market. We hope that through this article, you can adapt your brand for Instagram and dominate both mobile and desktop at the same time to grow!