5 Steps To Create A Powerful Vision For Your Brand

 

I’ve been thinking about my step dad a lot lately. It’s most likely because I just moved back to Florida, where I spent the majority of my time with him, and I started working for a company that deals with cancer, and he died of cancer.

One thing that was incredibly striking about him, was that he could see right through me from day one. The very first time he saw one of my design projects, he walked right past my fear, insecurities and naivety and said, “Marji, just please remember us when you are famous.” I laughed it off, attributing it to his innate step dad bias. However, as I continued to show him projects I was working on, read him books I was writing and tell him about my aspirations, he kept saying that same phrase→ “Remember us when you are famous.”

Ironically, I received my first big promotion to director of social media for a company the day after my step dad passed away from cancer. My mom said, “Well, please remember me when you’re famous.”

While I do not consider myself “famous”, I do consider myself successful in the area I wanted to pursue in life → creating meaningful relationships with others and encouraging positive living. I credit a great deal of that success to the man who relentlessly told me that I was going to be famous someday, and my work would be known to the world. By already speaking his prophecy over my life, I pursued my passions like there was no other option other than success. I had the confidence I needed to push through setbacks, differences of opinions and life obstacles because someone I cared about deeply told me that I would make it in this big world.

Point? → Visualizing what you want takes you far, and encouragers help you stick to a strong vision. If you’re new to social media as a brand, or just know that you need to be on a different social path, I encourage you to take these steps to create a powerful vision that will take you to the next level:

Identify Your Encouragers

My step dad, along with others, had a huge positive influence in my life by encouraging me to pursue what I was good at. Find out who the people/brand advocates are that are in love with your brand and have its very best interest at heart.

Interview Your Encouragers

Once you realize who your cheerleaders are, ask them what they love most about your brand and where they see you going in the next few years. Granted, your five year plan is yours, but your encouragers might think of taking your brand places you never even imagined it going → because they see the potential in it.

Set Your Goal

Review things your encouragers said about you, along with your own personal goals for the brand, and align on a goal of where you want to be in the next few years on social. Take the time to write the vision out, and even make cards for your team to keep at their desk to remind them of where the social media team wants to be.

Practice Envisioning Your Vision

Dedicate time to revisiting your vision. Even if you have to set a time on your calendar once a week to think about what your vision and picture what your brand will look like when it gets to its ideal state, do it!

Surround Yourself With Your Encouragers

Keep your encouragers close, so they continue to breathe life and energy into your vision, even when you have setbacks. As the saying goes, we are who we hang out with 🙂

Granted, this goal and vision exercise is not meant to replace your social media strategy goals, but rather give your team something to set its eyes on so it continues to think big and do big things in the social space.

My step dad saw something in me, and was firm in knowing that it would influence the world someday. There are people out there who see something in your brand, that you need to find and listen to in order to become the best social brand you can be.

– Marji J. Sherman