USER PERSONAS
In marketing, using the correct user persona cannot be stressed enough; user personas are the most vital yet overlooked component of brand development. User personas are a collective representation of targeted customers that create the majority of business. Creating accurate user personas is a professional level of stereotyping that helps a brand better target those who are most likely to be interested in said services or products. Financial position and consumer habits need to be considered when developing the persona. Persona creation is a crucial component during the drafting of each brand's identity as it will influence every aspect of the brand, including logos, collateral, and word choice used in ads.
However, user personas are not stagnant, they are meant to evolve. The typical process is a brand is created, it gets off the ground and then it is ready to make money. This is where user personas get to shine. Data allows for accurate personas. This process, though it may seem tedious, is what separates good branding from great branding.
WHO IS YOUR BRAND? NOT WHAT
Imagine brands being people. This style of thinking helps draw more in-depth relations between the brand and customers/clients which promotes a more relatable identity for the company. The name of the game here is to make the customer identify with the brand. By doing the potential of a lifelong customer has been created. The customer/client identification is what will be the difference in which $30 navy polo a buyer grabs off the rack.
KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY
Next to mastering user personas, doing technology right is a critical piece to branding and success. Technology has indefinitely reshaped every aspect of commerce, and everyday life.
With infinite possibilities of how to communicate with consumers, developing online marketing strategies can seem overwhelming at first. We can draw wisdom from the philosophy of tending only to the parts of the garden that can be touched. In other words, work within limits. Allocate the time necessary for creative and development teams to get the job done right. Don't stress to develop an app, revamp a website, while also trying to develop a social media campaign unless the team being worked with has the elbow grease for it. It is better to do a few things well than many things subpar.
Next, ensure interaction methods are up to date. While time is important, so is goal setting. Be sure to set goals that when met, the brand is put in the proper light in front of the proper people, leading it to succeed at its highest potential. This might mean allocating more time and effort to Instagram while pumping the breaks on that experimental side project for the time being. This all ties back into an understanding of each brand's user personas. Which demographic is more likely to check social media 5+ times a day or and which are more likely to read the newspaper every morning? Getting into the user’s head is the first step in devising a well-formed plan of attack.
Remember that technology, just like user personas, are ever-changing as they evolve with the company. BlueFish’s goal is to give information that helps our fans brand stand out amongst the competition and convert content to currency.