Brand Persona in E-Commerce: What It Is and How to Develop It

What is a persona brand?

All brands have a name, a distinguishing feature (such as a logo), a voice with which to speak to the target audience, and a unique persona or personality with which the target consumer can connect and relate on a deeper level. When you develop your brand personality, you create a framework for how your target audience will perceive your business, its products, and services. It's important to note that the modern consumer is influenced by brands. Indeed, brands play an important role in our emotional lives. People don't buy a particular brand's products just because they like them or because they work well. Consumers also form relationships with brands because they give meaning to their lives and experiences. This emotional connection is the main contributor to why a consumer will purchase from brand A over brand B. Even if your product is a little more expensive, takes longer to deliver, and has roughly the same function and purpose as your competitor's, your consumers will be more likely to pay extra and wait longer because your brand means something more to them. Now let's talk about how to successfully build your brand personality:

1) Know your target customer

The first crucial step in building your brand persona is to understand your target customer. The persona you create for your brand must specifically appeal to your target consumers, so you need to have a clear idea of ​​who you're addressing. So, who's in your target market? Are they men, women, or both? How old are they? You also need to thoroughly evaluate the industry your e-commerce business is in, the products you want to distribute, and identify the types of individuals who are most likely to benefit from your products. You need to define your target demographic by age, gender, location, purchasing power, interests, hobbies, and more to get a clear picture of your buyer persona. For example, if you were selling beard products online, you wouldn't target women. Only by developing a deep understanding of your target market can you develop a brand personality that can have a resounding effect on the hearts and minds of your consumers.

2) Plan your person

You need to choose a brand persona that appeals to your target customer. This persona should make your customers feel included and understood. Only then will they want to incorporate your brand into their lifestyle. If you're still building your brand, choosing one of these brand personality types is a great place to start building your brand personality framework:

• Carefree, lively and youthful
• Sincerity, kindness, caring spirit
• Strength, tenacity
• Successful expertise, highlighted by strong leadership
• Sophistication: elegance, style and prestige

3) Decide how your brand should speak

Once you've determined a basic personality structure for your brand from the five listed above, it's time to bring your brand to life by giving it a voice to speak with. That's right, your brand needs a voice that speaks to its target audience so it can successfully communicate its values ​​and connect with its consumers and potential consumers. The reason it's important to establish a consistent voice for your brand is because you'll use this voice to communicate with your consumers throughout all your marketing materials, social media posts, and your entire website. The more your brand voice is tailored to appeal to your target audience, the more persuasive they'll find you. So, what does your brand's voice sound like when communicating with its target audience? Is it male or female? Is it serious and professional or young and hip? To understand your brand's voice, it's best to develop some guidelines to stay consistent throughout your e-commerce business's communications and information efforts. It also helps to list some unique keywords, slogans, and phrases that you feel are appropriate for your brand's personality.

4) Create a consistent look

After building a basic structure based on your brand's personality and voice, it's time to create a cohesive look. An important part of building a brand personality and identity comes from the design process. Now it's time to create a logo, decide on a color palette, fonts, and other design elements that match your brand's image and personality. Here are the essential design elements your brand should have:

• Logo: Think of your logo as the face of your brand. It's a strategic design symbol to build brand recognition, as this is what your consumers will be most exposed to.

• Color palette: Colors influence how we feel, and many brands choose their color palettes based on the psychological influence certain colors have on people's emotions. It's best to choose one to three colors for your brand.

• Typography: Choosing the right fonts is also crucial and can be confusing, considering there are so many to choose from. We recommend choosing a font that works well with your logo and color palette. It's also best to keep it simple and avoid overdoing fancy fonts.

• Images: High-quality images should also be part of your brand's visual representation. Use quality images only on your website, advertising, and social media campaigns. Your images can also maintain consistent themes, especially when they focus on your brand, your brand experience, and your products.

• Supporting graphics: The supporting graphics on your e-commerce website should also be consistently designed. Supporting graphics include any icons you might use on your online store, as well as other design resources.

5) Create a mission statement

One way to clearly define your brand's purpose is to create a mission statement. Your mission statement defines your brand's purpose and the service you intend to provide to your target customers. Think of creating your mission statement as a way to pave the way for your brand's direction. Giving your brand direction will be an effective way to establish a brand personality because you're outlining your brand's goals and defining its purpose. Here are some examples of successful brand mission statements: Google: "organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful." Starbucks: "to inspire and nourish the human spirit: one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time." Apple: “to deliver the best user experience to its customers through innovative hardware, software and services.” As you can see, a mission statement can consist of a single sentence that encompasses a brand's goals and purpose beyond its intentions to make a profit. A mission statement is a customer-centric statement, aiming to make customers' lives better and their experiences more meaningful. Here are the three key components you need to consider when creating your mission statement:

• Your customers.
• What do you want to contribute to their lives?
• Unique features of your products or services that your customers will prefer over your competitors.

Conclusion

We've discussed the value of branding and brand personality and given you some tips on how to get started. Remember that creating an exceptional and well-crafted brand personality is what will take your online business a long way. Without it, you can't hope to establish a meaningful connection with your customers, nor can you hope to outperform your competitors. Remember that when you create your brand personality, you're shaping the way your customers will view your business and your brand. Creating a brand persona should be a fun and creative process, and it's also part of building a solid foundation for your e-commerce business.

Contact us

What are your thoughts on brand personality and the role it plays in your e-commerce business? Are you looking to create a confident and clearly defined brand persona to connect more effectively with your target audience? If you have any questions about effective branding, feel free to contact us. At Yastime, we love discussing future plans for your online business ventures and sharing practical solutions to help you achieve your e-commerce and dropshipping goals. Don't hesitate to contact us today!