Building an Aspirational Brand in the Instagram Era

In the era of the influencer, it’s more important than ever to engage directly with your audience. Focusing on your aspirational strategies is key to your company’s success and ability to leave behind a memorable digital footprint that isn’t quickly replaced by another brand. But what’s the best way to stand out in an age when companies all over the world are on Instagram, each somehow more evocative and appealing than the last? Here’s what you should keep in mind as you build your brand.

To Aspire, Not Inspire

Moments of inspiration are fleeting, at best. You may have been inspired as a teenager by the photographs of your favorite actors and singers in magazines, or intrigued by the way someone you knew styled her hair. That brief stimulation may have piqued your interest, but it didn’t tap into your aspirations — that is, your long-term hopes of achieving a certain goal. Aspiration connects to your own personal ambitions and abilities instead of showing a celebrity who has already achieved that stage. Through aspiration come new sparks of inspiration, which may drive consumers to reach their goals more efficiently. If your goal is to sell high-quality, sustainable custom business work shirts, for example, you need to put effort into using eco-friendly and vegan materials to appeal to a specific segment. You invite consumers who want to reduce their own carbon footprint into your world, in the process allowing them to integrate your products into their goal of becoming more eco-conscious.

Connect With Emotion

Part of recognizing your audience and getting to know them better is connecting with them on an emotional level. In the modern world, it’s simply not enough to capture their attention for a fleeting moment as they scroll through their Instagram feed. You need to tap into what they truly need — and show that you can meet the need by relating your service or product to that particular emotion. This goes a long way in establishing your brand’s identity. It sets you apart as more than just an appealing company, but one that actually resolves problems by identifying what consumers need and delivering on those demands. The emotional connection can be strong and almost unbreakable once the audience develops a sense of loyalty to the brand. Marketing your sustainable custom business workwear collection, for example, might involve sharing that your garments are ethically produced in respectful environments and that you don’t utilize water or dyes during production. It’s a process that helps consumers feel good about their choice to invest in your product.

Make It a Lifestyle

Success often comes at the most unexpected moments, but in the Instagram era, it’s important to make those moments as frequent as possible so that your brand doesn’t get lost in the fray. If your goal is to be aspirational, you must focus on building a lifestyle movement and brand image that resonates very specifically to your target group. A custom business professional clothing company founded by millennials, for example, can very easily identify the specific corporate needs of this group and establish a presence that directly connects with those desires. It begins with a vibrant Instagram feed that captures millennials in various states of professional activity, whether holding meetings or attending interviews or networking. Placing your consumers in those shoes, and showing how your brand helps make goals possible, is key. In essence, you become a part of their overall lifestyle.

Know Your Place

You need a healthy dose of confidence to serve as an aspirational leader in the Instagram era. Setting yourself apart in your own mind will help you make more effective decisions that speak directly to your intentions. You aren’t, for example, aiming to be a peripheral name that falls low on the list of brands that people may consider. Nor is it often enough to be a part of the mainstream, where brands may become muddled together and confused with one another. Aspirational brands are distinctive in every sense: their marketing and advertising strategies are fresh and unexpected, they connect on a deeper and more personal level with their consumers, and they continue to evolve in order to remain at the forefront of their industries. It means mixing up your efforts — giving away custom company hats and other fun merchandise, then following up to continue the conversation. It’s a lofty task, but one that becomes more possible when you focus on how to bring your brand to life in a way that distinguishes you from the pack. That’s key to establishing a unique presence that keeps people returning for more.

Keep Content Fresh

Once you establish a unique identity and voice that sets you apart from your competitors, it’s essential to put that into action — and to keep it going consistently. Don’t limit yourself to the occasional post when you can fill your consumers’ feeds with valuable content that actually provides them with something of value. It could be information that benefits their lives and helps them achieve a goal, or it could be a special promotional product that drives them to make a purchase. Creating a connection means allowing for that valuable in-between time when consumers are just getting to know you and what you have to offer. Be patient during the process, and trust that your voice, identity, and mission will help you become a truly effective aspirational brand.