Companies must create a brand positioning strategy to establish a distinctive identity in their audience’s minds. And social media platforms make it easy for brands to boost visibility for their unique propositions. With 42 percent of the world’s total population using social media, marketers can position brands online through killer graphic designs. And it’s all up to their creative imagination. 

Before we give you tips on how to position your brand via graphic design, let’s define what brand positioning is

Consumers remember brands because of exposure to advertisements. However, not all ads appeal to audiences. This is why marketers position brands in a way that resonates with their target market. Brand positioning presents a brand’s offering that creates a unique perception in the minds of their target audience. 

Moreover, brand positioning will depend on how companies want to be perceived by their target audience. For instance, do you want to be viewed as a casual or formal brand? Is your brand personality playful or prim-and-proper?

Additionally, positioning your brand will also entail the upper hand you have over competitors. What makes your offerings unique? How different is your brand from the competition? By positioning your brand that attracts audiences, you’re increasing brand recognition and loyalty. 

And when it comes to social media, graphic design is the lifeblood of your campaigns. Here are nine ways you can position your brand on social media using graphic design.

 

1. Become an authority in your niche

One way to gain brand recall is when you establish credibility on social media. Once users begin to trust you, you’ll instantly become their go-to source for anything related to your niche. Having a specialization is better than becoming a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none brand. 

To become an authority in your field, publish relevant social media content. For example, TechCrunch is an online publisher that talks about anything in business and technology. Make sure you’re on top of the current trends and events and leverage images that appeal to tech-oriented audiences. 

 

2. Establish a strong brand image

If you want to be perceived as a fun-loving brand, create images with happy people, and lighthearted design elements. On the other hand, if you want to be regarded as a serious brand, publish photos that reflect your formal branding.

One way to establish a strong brand image is to be consistent across all social media platforms. Aside from logos, brand colors, typography, and taglines, display your brand personality, value, and culture on your graphics. 

For example, create a Facebook Business Page with a profile photo and cover photo that showcase your branding. Here’s Target’s Facebook Page that evidently flaunts their logo and brand colors. 

 

3. Encourage community advocates

Brand positioning is also a way to create communities on social media. Because consumer behavior centers on psychological and emotional appeal, brands that build communities lure more prospects. Once you know which social channels your audiences are hanging out, gather them in one group. 

Creating groups and forums encourage communication. Spark conversation by talking about current trends and events in your niche. However, merely expressing yourself through text isn’t enough. Post images that pique interest and show support for your advocacies like what American Express did with their Small-Business blog. It encourages people to support small businesses. Being a monolith in the financial industry, American Express’s support by giving back to society is impressive. 

 

4. Value connection with your audience

If you want your audience to see your company as a brand that cares, give your audience attention. Consumers want to feel valued, and if brands put them on a pedestal, they return the favor.

User-generated content on social media will achieve this. By organizing social media campaigns that highlight your customers, you get marketing mileage in return. For example, Starbucks’ #HowWeMet campaign encourages customers to tell stories of how they met people in any Starbucks stores. 

 

5. Humanize your brand

Humanizing your brand brings you closer to your audience as well. For B2B companies, this can be hard to achieve as they are typically perceived as faceless conglomerates. However, position your B2B company as a friendly brand by putting a face on those social media images. 

Feature motivational stories of employees or customers like what Novartis did on one of its Facebook posts. Once again, publishing social media images with photos of real people stimulates emotional advertising. 

 

6. Show your unique selling proposition

Brand positioning can be easy to accomplish if you know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Work on your weaknesses and leverage your strengths.

If you know you have an excellent offering, show it to the world. Post quality photos of your products or services. Partner with micro and macro-influencers so you can post pictures of them showing how satisfied they are with your products. 

Moreover, YouTube is an excellent platform to present a brand’s product or service creatively. Ultimately, highlighting your brand’s unique offering is a great way to position your brand positively. Take a cue from Dollar Shave Club’s simple value proposition in one of their Facebook ads.

 

7. Show corporate social responsibility 

A brand that takes CSR seriously gains more affinity from its audiences. According to Invesp, four out of 10 Americans have boycotted brands due to irresponsible behavior. If you want to be touted as a responsible brand by your target audience, follow in REI’s footsteps. 

Black Friday has become of the most significant annual spending in the United States. However, as an outdoor brand, REI advertises its anti-consumerism campaign through this video. It aims to persuade employees and people to explore the wilderness instead of spending exorbitant amounts on Black Friday. 

 

8. Center on sustainability

Sustainability is becoming a core foundation of some companies worldwide. Establishing your brand as environment-friendly can attract like-minded individuals. Publish social media images of nature and all things environment. 

Likewise, show how environment-friendly your processes are by posting behind-the-scenes videos, stories, or images. You may also produce environment-friendly product packaging and post pictures of it on social media. 

Another way you can gather treehuggers and possibly convert them is to create an “environmental” challenge. Here’s what Patagonia did to encourage customers to avoid excessive consumerism. They organized swap meets so customers can barter their Patagonia goods through the “Worn Wear” campaign. 

This campaign hits two birds with one stone. It implies that Patagonia’s products are built to last that even second-generation owners can still use them. Plus, it validates their sustainable advocacies. 

 

9. Make a statement

Brand positioning is crucial to make an online statement. Be bold and break the mold. Bank on unorthodox images that can go viral. Post images that ignite emotions and create buzz online. 

Who would’ve thought that a 120-year-old company will find success on social media via Instagram Stories? General Electric (GE) jumped on the bandwagon the moment Instagram Stories was launched. But they went over the top. 

Posting stories of employees descending into a volcanic mountain for data sampling, GE’s audience was astounded. This goes to show that storytelling and radical campaigns are essential ingredients of social media brand positioning.