Creating a Brand Personality…It’s Easier Than You Think

At Zerion, we talk a lot about the “Zerion Way.”

From the outside, our company might look like a fun place to work (it is!), filled with the latest gadgets and technology (it is!), but, what’s inside is what really stands out.

Inside, we have team members who enjoy spending time together. Who pull each other aside for ping pong games as often as serious break out sessions to discuss customer needs, development opportunities and product plans. We have a group of people that have come together to do great things, pushing the entire company forward and showing the world that we really are “different.”

As such, it became important to make sure our online identity matched what was going on inside our office space. Consistency was critical.

But, how does a company share blog posts — often about “serious” topics — that match the personality of the brand built by a unique group of individuals that truly enjoy each other’s’ company? Check out the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve done just that.

1. Establish Your Purpose

When you push content, what are you hoping to accomplish?

Will you be sharing it on your blog? Pushing it on social media? Publishing on external sites?

Regardless of your method, chances are you’re hoping to allow readers to understand what you have to offer while peaking their interest. Think about the metrics you’re hoping to achieve — sure. But, also think about what you want readers to feel and do once they’ve read through your content.

When everyone on the team understands why they’re creating content, they’ll be better prepared to move forward.

2. Set Guidelines

Guidelines matter. At Zerion, we have multiple guidelines relating to content on our own website and on social networks. Instead of strict regulations that prohibit creativity and the willingness of each team member to participate, they’re designed to provide a framework to work within, increasing confidence across the board and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Take the time to outline general guidelines — who can post where? What topics are off limits? What topics would be most beneficial to readers? And so on.

3. Create General Style Rules

Encouraging personality doesn’t need to be a free for all. Just like general guidelines, consistency is critical when developing brand individuality. Therefore, general style guidelines apply.

You probably haven’t taken the time to think a lot about whether you’re okay with parenthesis, ellipses, the Oxford comma or emojis inside your brand content, but, now’s a great time to get on the ball…especially if you’ll be encouraging multiple team members to create content 😉 (see what I did there?).

4. Encourage Individuality

When general regulations are in place and a style guide has been established, it’s time to get to the fun part…encouraging individuality among your team members.

Your team is great because it’s made up of a bunch of individuals who are able to work together to accomplish big things. Your online content should be no different. Encourage your team members to be themselves, within the confines of the regulations that have already been established. If your content has multiple authors, it shouldn’t all sound the same.

If you’re worried about how this will go, establish a “go-to.” Someone to review and edit content before it’s shared, and to provide feedback to your writers to help make the process easier as time goes on.

5. Participate in Conversations

No one wants to “broadcast” online. Your readers will quickly get tired of it and move on.

A great way to share your brand’s personality is to encourage — and take part — in conversations. Consider asking a question at the end of your posts.

When you share your content on social, engage your followers. Ask follow-up questions, respond to their comments. Not only will this help you appear through the mysterious social algorithms, it’ll also help to establish relationships with non-customers and customers alike. Bonus!

6. Be Real

I can’t emphasize this enough: if your content feels fabricated, or, leads to negative experiences that don’t match the sunny persona you’ve created online, it could do more harm than good.

Share your wins as a company, but, share what you can about your losses too. It’s never been easier to see through false personas…don’t fall victim to this tendency.

7. Don’t Rely on a Single Publishing Platform

If you haven’t noticed…we’re fairly new to the Medium space. Why? Because we’ve decided it’s important to share our brand — and our voices — on platforms other than our blog.

While the success of this effort has yet to be determined (feel free to give us a clap or two!), we’re excited to connect with others in our space, to share lessons we’ve learned and to promote the Zerion Way in new ways.

I’d like to encourage you to do the same. If you’ve been relying on a single publishing platform…consider checking out other options. At best, you’ll establish a brand presence off your blog. At worst, well, I haven’t come up with anything yet.

Every brand is different. The products you develop, the purpose of your organization, they’re all different from the competition. Your brand personality should be no different.

How have you developed your brand’s personality? Any tips or tricks? Sound off!