How to Build a Brand from the Ground Up

Back in 2014, Hyperchat Social was an idea forming in the minds of a couple very ambitious entrepreneurs. Their idea was birthed and cultivated into the painted walls and inspiration that now fill its quaint office nestled amongst the small town streets of Alpharetta, GA. But how did an idea turn into a tangible, growing business and brand?

In 2014, Social media wasn't near as big as it is today. Big companies certainly weren't outsourcing their social media services near as much as they are today. Creating an online brand for your business and promoting your name in character-limited posts was still a somewhat foreign concept. Since then, Hyperchat Social has stepped into this pioneer movement and made its way through the social media business world, pushing itself closer and closer to the top of the social media industry and making a name for itself here in Alpharetta. You can do the same!

If you're reading this blog, you most likely want to know more about how to build your brand, or maybe you're not that far yet. Maybe you want to know how to begin to create a brand. Well, you've come to the right place.

We're about to go over just what it takes to create and build a sustainable brand. We won't just tell you how to do this, but we will also provide examples of successful brands today.

The Four C's of Brand Building

1. Consistency is Key: Recognition

If you were asked to draw the DropBox logo, would you be able to do it? How about the YouTube logo or the Walmart logo? If you're answer isn't yes, then you must be living under a rock. Everyone knows what these brands' logos look like because of one primary reason: consistency. DropBox is consistent with their logo - not just in how they display it, but also in where they put it. You can find their signature sketched blue, open box on every piece of information they offer - whether that be a fun homepage design or a creative error page.

You want your brand to be recognized with a single glance. If you glance up a a billboard for just a millisecond, and your brain registers the colors orange, purple, and an image of a donut, what brand is that? Dunkin'. Even though Dunkin' just changed their brand name, everyone can still recognize their billboards because they are still the same recognizable colors and images.

Therefore, maintaining a consistent brand requires keeping it simple. In order for your brand to be recognizable, it needs to stay the same - right down to the colors and the font.

2. Come From an Honest Place: Authenticity

A census of the population today shows that Millennials make up the majority of the work force and entrepreneurs, meaning they are the group of people to influence right now. According to research, millennials say they want to see more authenticity from the brands they support. Why is that? Because millennials don't trust advertisements. A billboard ad or a quick commercial in between your favorite reality TV show isn't going to make the kind of impression that an authentic social media post can make. Forbes magazine reports that most millennials are willing to support a brand that interacts with them on social media.

What does this mean? It means if you want to build an influential brand, you need to build an authentic brand. It's important that your brand solve a problem that you care about. If you love fashion, create a brand related to the clothing industry. If you are passionate about animals, build a company that revolves around the welfare of animals. Only when you as the owner truly care about your work will that translate into your brand and the support of your brand.

3. Choose Your Expertise

Not only should your company revolve around something you truly care about and have a passion for, but it is equally important to devote yourself to something that you are good at. A successful brand is known for one thing that they specialize in and know better than anyone else. For example, the health and fitness brand Orange Theory. Orange Theory has experienced explosive growth recently. Their brand is valued for their knowledge of health and fitness, and the brand stays true to these values. Orange Theory doesn't try to stretch its brand and attempt to offer knowledge in areas outside of their expertise - such as yoga or heavy lifting. If Orange Theory tried to expand their know-how, they would actually lose influence because they would no longer be able to put all their effort into being one of the best high intensity interval training fitness franchise.

Same goes for Apple. Apple is the top brand in the Tech industry because they devote themselves to all things technical. If Apple tried to branch out from their expertise and start offering work out attire and tennis shoes, that just wouldn't make sense. Instead of attempting to offer knowledge of the fitness world, they signed on a partnership with a brand whose expertise is fitness: Nike. Nike definitely has an expertise in fitness wear and you can find their logo on the majority of professional athletes today. With this partnership, Apple was able to expand their reach and influence significantly, without hindering what they specialize in.

4. Caring is Sharing: Generosity

Ever wonder how the great leaders of our past, such as Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, even Andrew Carnegie, obtained their status? All three of these men shared one thing in common - their generosity. Abraham Lincoln was generous with his words, encouraging others with every opportunity he was given. During the civil war, Lincoln never criticized his generals, but encouraged them in their battles.

Theodore Roosevelt was generous with his time and personality and is known for being kind and treating everyone - even the staff at the White House - with the same respect he would give to someone who carried his last name. During a visit to the White House after his presidency term was over, Roosevelt would visit with the staff, talking with them about how much he misses the chef's amazing cornbread.

Andrew Carnegie was generous with his money. He is known for being one of the richest men in America and giving most of that money away to charity. These men became leaders because they knew how to work with people and value their neighbor.

Think about it.

If you have a coworker that brings baked goods all the time or always offers to drive everyone to lunch, how will you treat them? You're definitely going to visit their desk for those baked goods, and spend time with them in the car on the way to lunch. You will most likely share about this person with your friends and other co workers. Simply by being generous, this person has increased their influence and made a name for themselves at your office.

The same goes for your brand. If you build a brand that is generous with its time and money, you will make an effect on the people around you. Your leadership skills and the foundation of your brand will build with each act of generosity because your followers will appreciate and share your name. This produces influence in your community and expands your brand.

Social Media Influencers: Leaders of Brand Influence

With social media being so huge, the number of ways a company can express their brand are essentially endless. However, an especially significant way to promote your brand is through the effect of influence. Today companies have access to individuals termed social media influencers. A social media influencer is defined as someone who "is a user on social media with established credibility in a specific industry. A social media influencer has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach." Established credibility and large audience are two key things that an influencer can offer to a company that is seeking to gain presence on social media. Influencers build relationships for a company in places where the company may not be able to reach on their own.

Looking for an influencer for your brand? Go here: http://bit.ly/2CBkKKc

Examples of Successful Influencers

We want to introduce you to some popular influencers on social media today. These influencers have impacted their followers with the passion they have for what they do and the authenticity they put into their work. These ladies started with nothing but an idea and a dream. However, they were able to build their brands with authenticity, passion, and generosity. We hope they can provide you with some inspiration.

First set of influencers are two ladies named Cassie and Shay, owners of the company Bucketlist Bombshells. Their company seeks to teach other women how to build their own online business. Their mission is to give women the freedom to travel the world and work from wherever they please. Cassie and Shay are truly passionate about what they do, and it's evident in the way they share what they know with their clients and the 30k followers they have on Instagram. Their brand has become successful because these ladies show authenticity in what they do, and their supporters want the same for themselves.

Another lady we want to talk about is Jenny Cipoletti, owner of Margo and Me. Margo is Jenny's french bulldog, who often makes appearances in her Instagram feed. Who can't relate with the love of a pet? Jenny is the perfect picture of a successful social media influencer with the way she carries a brand name authentically. She loves Chloe wine and her posts often show her enjoying a glass of Chloe pinot grigio. Jenny's posts show her participating in activities that her followers (all 434k of them) can relate to and do also. Her brand is relatable and authentic, and that has brought her success.

The Bottom Line

Be consistent with your brand and keep it simple.

Be authentic and honest.

Choose an expertise that you enjoy.

Show generosity and care about your supporters.

Master these four essentials ingredients and watch your brand grow into a recipe for success!