Theory Behind Branding

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Something we have been looking at in my recent computer in art and design class is social media branding and how it can help businesses. The power of social media can benefit a small and growing business in a number of positive ways, it can help by:
  • driving traffic to a businesses website
  • improving your SEO (search engine optimization)
  • allowing you to engage with your community and audience
  • strengthing customers relationships with that brand
  • and lastly, keeping pace with the competition for free
But, with a range of different options on which social media platform you can use, it’s hard to understand which platform would be best for you and your purpose. Being a young adult in the 21st century, it’s hard to establish which platforms I should be on and actively using to help boost my career and fulfil my love for social media. I wanted to use this post to breakdown some of the popular sites and how they could benefit a business:

Twitter can be used to directly interact with customers and can create a close and trusting relationship. Personally, I think it makes a company or business seem more approachable and reliable. However, it does come with risks: if done badly or without thought, Twitter can be as equally as damaging to a business as it can be good. You will constantly be under the public eye and things can easily be shared and re-tweeted to thousands of people in a click of a button. They have 321 million monthly active users (MAU) and it is the platform of choice by politicians and world leaders.

Instagram is predominately used for a brand trying to sell you an idealized version of yourself, the picture-perfect and "Instagram-able" lifestyle. With 1 billion MAU, the potential for exposure is massive and can make or break a company if the content you post is enjoyed by a vast amount of people. The largest demographic is men and women under 35, which proves its popularity amongst the younger generations. 83% of users have discovered a new product or service from the app that they have, then gone on to use or purchase. Techniques like using hashtags and tagging people and your location can increase the number of people who see your post. A study shows that using 11 hashtags can give you as much as 442% more engagement, and doubles the engagement compared with using 1-10 hashtags.

YouTube is again selling you this idealized lifestyle to an audience, however due to the nature of the content, it can be seen as much more personal and you feel closer to the account as you get a different insight into that person's life. Sponsored content on this platform can also be used to drive sales of products

Facebook has 2.4billion MAU and the demographics on Facebook are women aged 18-24 and men aged 24-34 who are most likely to be found using it. Facebooks usage is on a decline, while platforms such as Instagram are rising. It is interesting to see this, as personally I think this platform isn't as popular as it was 16 years ago. I feel that it's trying to be like a number of other apps and has lost its sense of clear identity. Having said that, 74% of its users continue to visit the site daily still.

Last, but by no means least, Blogs: personally for me this is a way to express my creativity in a visual and descriptive way, which is creative and original. I enjoy creating content and gaining my voice and personality through the process. Although this isn't as popular as other social media platforms, 77% of internet users have read a blog and 5.8 million blog posts are created every day, so here is my contribution!

These are just some of the platforms out there. There are plenty of other apps we can use to grow our followers and get exposure. I can see now why it could feel overwhelming, and why an internet break could be needed! But, it is down to who you want to reach and influence. As a young fashion student, I would be looking at starting up an Instagram, blog, Tumblr or Youtube presence as I want to reach a younger audience. This is compared to being on a platform like Twitter, which is most used by politicians and world leaders; it could be conflicting and not hitting the audience I would like to.


This is just an opening into the world of social media and the powers that it can have. Looking into the theory behind brands is something I enjoy doing. As I wish to continue my career path into social media marketing and working alongside influencers, I will be no stranger to social media. No stranger to hashtags, tagging, Instagram stories, the lot. I can't WAIT!


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