What does your Brand say about your real estate business? A look at Brand Personality
What does your Brand say to the public? Have you really thought about how your potential clients perceive you through the marketing that you put out to the world? If you haven't thought about it before, then this article is for you dear agent.
You see, there is always a "perception" that we are displaying for the world to see and that'll influence how the consumer sees you and your real estate business. Okay, let me pause here. Just so we're on the same level, I'm not saying to pretend to be something you're not and build an image on that. In fact, I teach exactly the opposite of that and want you to be your authentic self. (Check out my article on Being Your Authentic Self here.) What I am saying is that you need to consciously think about how you convey your authentic self to your potential clientele.
That brings us to the next question of "How do you convey a message of how you want to be perceived?" The answer is simple, Brand Personality. Per Investopedia's definition, "Brand Personality refers to a set of human characteristics that are attributed to a brand name....Brand personality is a framework that helps a company or organization shape the way people feel about its product, service, or mission. A company's brand personality elicits an emotional response in a specific consumer segment, with the intention of inciting positive actions that benefit the firm."
I know this sounds very corporate and like it doesn't apply to our industry, especially if you're a single agent. However, rest assured it definitely does. If you're a single agent, your brand needs to represent you and what personality you want to convey. If you have a team, then your brand needs to represent your team's personality and what you'd like it to convey. Think of it as if your brand was an actual person, what traits would you want that person to have?
Essentially, when we develop our brand personality, we are focusing on what traits and emotions we want the consumer to feel when they come across our marketing or services. Why is this important? It's important because consumers want to work with brands (ie. you) that have personalities similar to theirs. Yes, this is even true in our real estate industry.
A great example of brand personality is Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has based its entire brand personality on "Happiness." It permeates through their entire corporate structure starting on the inside and works its way externally to the public. Coca-Cola conveys that when we, the consumer, are happy, we need a Coke.
To give another example that's more relevant to our real estate agent world, maybe you're more adventurous and like to go white water rafting or do repelling. While you post real estate topics on your social media, you also post frequently about your recent ventures in the wild outdoors. You start to attract clients that have the same outdoor interests and you have lots to talk about outside of their real estate deals. This is because your brand personality aligned with theirs and they saw a common ground that was relatable.
So how do you figure out your brand personality? Well, there are multiple ways. In this article, I'm going to only discuss my preference, which is Carl Jung's Brand Archetypes Framework that you'll see below.
In this method, there are 12 archetypes that represent different characteristics, one of which your brand will fall into that represents different characteristics. Personally, I would write down 3-5 traits that you want your brand to exude, and see which archetype is the best fit. Here are some traits for each archetype.
The Innocent ~ Happiness, goodness, optimism, youth
The Sage ~ Wise, intelligent, mentoring, knowledgeable
The Explorer ~ Adventurous, independent, wanderlust
The Outlaw ~ Rule-breaker, misfit, disruptor, radical
The Magician ~ Charismatic, idealistic, inspirational
The Hero ~ Honorable, strong, courageous
The Lover ~ Romantic, warm, sensual
The Jester ~ Funny, quirky, enjoyment
The Everyman ~ Equality, community, down-to-earth
The Caregiver ~ Caring, nurturing, empathetic
The Ruler ~ Stern, organized, responsible, leader
The Creator ~ Imaginative, creative, non-conforming, artistic
Once you have an archetype chosen, use it as a base when building your imagery and digital assets. This is a foundational piece to structure off of in order to emit the emotions that you want your ideal clientele to relate to.
After that, start building your brand image and remain consistent. It should be reflected not only in your marketing strategy externally but also throughout your business internally. The client is looking for certain traits because they are looking for a specific experience while working with you. You're making an initial promise, so don't forget to follow through on that promise and provide those traits throughout your transaction with them. When a client's experience meets their expectation, they'll be your raving fans for years to come!
Keep Shining On ~ Your Real Estate Coach,
Amanda
