As an influencer, you want to make sure you will attract both followers and brands. By having your strategy put together and have it handy, you can re-read it whenever you need to or revise it as your brand grows.

There are five components I am going to talk about, which are your audience, story, mission, vision, and voice.

If you missed last week’s lesson: Profile Perfect, make sure to check it out.

Five Compositions in Instagram Branding Strategy

One: Your Audience

IDENTIFY THE RIGHT AUDIENCE

Knowing who you are talking to is the most important step when figuring out your branding strategy. It might seem obvious who you are talking to, but you need to be more specific on the exact person so that your message can resonate more. Answer these questions to help you find out your specific audience.

Are they male or female?

How old are they?

What hobbies do they have?

Where do they like to shop for clothes?

What’s there dream travel destination?

Do they have kids or a family?

The more questions you ask and the more specific your answers, the more accurate your audience will be.

Answering these questions, or more, in your audience’s shoes will get your creative juices flowing and allow you to really understand who you are speaking. Once you know the person you are talking to, you can then start conveying the other parts of your brand.

Two: Your Story

CREATE AN EMOTIONALLY CONNECTING BRAND STORY

The story of your brand is when your audience starts to connect with you. It’s the point at which a person becomes a fan or stays a one time customer.

Your story has to convey a feeling that your audience can attach themself. The story must say how you got started and why you do what you do. Be as specific as possible here, too, as the more details you write, the more chances your audience can connect with you.

Your brand story should consist of three parts: 1) Your intention 2) The problems your followers are facing, and 3) How you can help solve those problems.

Susan Gunelius is a 20-year marketing veteran and President & CEO of a marketing communications company stated in her Forbes article that “Brand stories are not marketing materials. They are not ads, and they are not sales pitches. Brand stories should be told with the brand persona and the writer’s personality at center stage. Boring stories won’t attract and retain readers, but stories brimming with personality can.”

Three: Your Mission

BE CLEAR ON WHAT YOU ARE DOING TODAY

Your brand mission is what you are doing today. What actions have you already taken and are implementing in your brand?

Once you have a clear idea of your audience and know your brand story, next, you will need to create a mission to make sure your brand is creating consistent content that represents your brand’s current actions.

To make it easier to understand, the mission acts as the purpose behind what you try to accomplish every day. It’s where your audience can understand why you are doing something and how they can be a part of it. Your mission can be as simple as sharing makeup looks to help your audience look and feel more confident about themself.

Make your mission clear, meaningful, and straightforward so that you can tackle it each day.

Four: Your Vision

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO BECOME TOMORROW

Your vision is different from your mission, as it is the intention behind your brand. It’s what you strive to become tomorrow. It can be goals that you want to achieve tomorrow or in the future. Think of it as something you look to see your brand growing towards and can visualize your brand becoming in the future. Having a great vision will allow your brand to evolve and grow. List down both strengths and weaknesses of your brand to write your vision so that you can have a better chance of achieving it.

One good example of a vision can be building a community of 10K or more strong-minded women who love putting makeup on as a therapy within five years.

A quick, one or two sentences will be short enough to remember and long enough to keep you on track toward your success. Your vision statement can be changed over time as you develop. Revisit it often to see how you are progressing toward your goals.

Five: Your Voice

FIND A VOICE THAT WORKS FOR YOUR BRAND AND AUDIENCE

When it comes to branding, your voice is how your audience will hear what you have to say. It’s the method in which you share how your message will be delivered. Think of the voice of your brand as a person that represents your brand. Is your voice serious and straight to the point, or is it fun and light? When writing content, think of the words you use in your text. How long are your sentences? How do those words make you feel and want to do? Do you feel happy and excited or bored and sleepy?

Make sure to keep your voice consistent across all content you create, as this gives a more human-like experience to your audience. It will make your audience think that they are talking to the same person and feel more comfortable when reading your content. Having an inconsistent voice can confuse your audience and will distract from your brand’s overall message.

Instagram Accounts mentioned in this post:

@muaddibthecat | @emcosmetics | @michellephan | @eggieshop | @imjennim | @ellenvlora