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I was neck-deep in the Netflix wormhole at 3 AM one night- the end-credits for Stranger Things were rolling. I was ready to hit ‘Next Episode’.

Right then, I thought: ‘Netflix makes for a most interesting friend’.

This brand had, through their multi-channel marketing, created a voice that sounded like it was excited showing you its newest passion- and singularly through their branding and content, have achieved huge successes, no gimmicks and tacky offers required.

With their tremendously fine-tuned content recommendations, and social media voice filled with memes and self-referential satire, the brand seemed more like a person, with a replete personality than a company trying to sell me a service.

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And that, was branding done right.

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WHY YOU NEED A BRAND:

But what are we, as ecommerce store owners to absorb from this? Building a brand requires more than a logo and a tagline: a brand is a concoction of several tiny pieces- right from the product, the advertising, the customer service, the tone and voice, the design to the logo, the social media presence, the extra value provided.

Your brand is the relationship you have with your audience- their feelings towards your brand, the stories that surround your brand, and your position in the market.

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With 500 stores popping up into existence every second- the one thing that separates the winners from the masses is the strong brand identity. If you can give me one single example of a successful company that did not build a brand around it through dedicated effort, I will be immensely surprised. Online stores thrive on their brand image- how people perceive their brand and connect with it, as customers are unable touch or feel the products themselves.

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Sure, you can leverage your store entirely on impulse buys, but if you are aiming for the long-term with a store that brings in steady income- brand development is a must.

HOW TO DEVELOP A BRAND ONLINE:

Identify your core:

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Ask yourself the following questions-

1. What does your brand stand for?
2. What do you offer to your target audience?
3. What is the bigger impact that your company will have?

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Chisel out the purpose for your brand existing: how are you any different from your competitors?

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What your brand stands for: The basic founding stones for your brand building strategy. The primary adjectives for your brand determine your aim: ‘organic, fresh, vegan’ steer a very different route than  ‘rustic, nostalgic, homemade’.

For example, it is no secret to the visitors that Everytable wants to make healthy food affordable to all- this stems from a concrete set of words that they built a brand identity around.

What do you offer to your target audience is the key takeaway from your brand. This is the reason people shop from you. Show your visitors the unique lifestyle that the audience sees itself living through your product.

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No customer buys only a product. They buy a lifestyle for themselves.

Nike is a stellar illustration of this branding technique.

Their promise to their audience is Inspiration and Innovation for Every Athlete in the World, which not only pulls in anyone who views their ideal self as an athlete, but also provides a gripping enough hook to all the above-mentioned people.

However, there is a second hidden catch to this step: Delivering on this promise. Perhaps a pair of shoes are not sufficient ‘inspiration’. Nike makes sure to create content that fulfills the promise it makes to its audience: which further adds to how the audience views Nike as a brand.

If you're need a little headstart with structuring out your brand vision and need templates to work out your business image, we recommend checking out Outlane's Shopify Starter Pack: which includes a branding kit, a social media kit, some kickass illustrations and more!

Can you tell we love it?

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Next up:

What is the bigger impact that your company will have is a question that goes beyond the monetary benefits that you will gain from your store. Create space for the bigger picture within your brand- for example, Starbucks has a page called ‘Our Mission Statement’ which encapsulates what they hope to achieve with their brand: providing quality coffee, creating human connection in coffee stores and environmental awareness.

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All amazing companies have opinions: whether these are opinions about the easiest way to get a cab or saving wildlife, your brand needs to stand up for something that your target audience can get onboard with.