Remember the last time you went to an event? Maybe it was a networking event, a party, or a wedding, and you were making super awkward small talk with someone? The conversation was really forced and you just wanted to bail out…
Versus the other person you bumped into, who piqued your curiosity, who made you laugh, cry or spit out your drink and you felt like you wanted to connect again?
Often when people’s brands are struggling to gain traction and recognisability – it’s because of a similar thing.
Stop Playing It Safe, Start Showing Some Personality
Everyday when you show up to your ideal customer (whether that’s online or in person), people form a perception about you.
And that perception determines whether they buy from you. Every post, every reply, every bit of packaging – it’s evidence they’re using to decide if you’re worth trusting.
In order to break through and be a brand that a person connects with, you need to stop playing it safe and start showing your business personality.
Playing it safe looks like a stock template, a generic caption, and visuals that blends into the next ten in the feed.
If you don’t know what NOT playing it safe looks like, you can start by asking yourself these questions:
- Do people know what you believe?
- Do people know what you are about?
- Do you sound human?
- Do you show up consistently?
- Is there a clear gap that you fill in the market?
- Do you have an ‘enemy’ or something we stand against?
If you can’t answer these questions quickly and easily, then you might need to sharpen your brand personality & messaging. Most people nail one or two of these off the top of their head but it’s the other four that cost you the sale.
FAQs
What’s the difference between brand personality and brand visual identity?
Your brand visual identity is the stuff you can see. The logo, colours, fonts, the packaging on your product. Your brand personality is the vibe underneath all of that. It’s how your brand would talk if it turned up to the party. You can nail the visuals and still come across flat if there’s no personality driving them.
Why does brand personality even matter if my product’s good?
Because good gets you in the room, but personality is what gets you remembered. There’s a hundred other businesses doing what you do. The ones people actually buy from and refer their mates to are the ones that felt like a person, not a logo.
How do I actually figure out what my brand personality is?
Start with the six questions above and be brutally honest with your answers. Then think about how you’d describe yourself at that party. Is it the cheeky, fun mate who tells it straight? Or is it the dry, straight shooter? Or something else? Whatever that is, that’s your brand personality. Write it down before you second-guess it.
Do I need to pick one personality trait, or can it be a mix?
A mix, always – nobody’s one thing. Just pick two or three traits max and let them show up consistently. Five traits and you’ll sound like you’re having an identity crisis.
How do I keep my brand personality consistent everywhere – website, social, packaging, in person?
Write your traits down somewhere you’ll actually look at them, then run everything through them before it goes out. The caption, the email, the sign on your shopfront. If it doesn’t sound like something your brand would say out loud, don’t post it.
