Building a strong brand identity from the ground up: The strategic role of social platforms

By Nuwan Withanage

In today’s highly digital world, a brand’s identity can make or break its success. For startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMBs) looking to establish themselves in competitive markets, building a strong brand identity is essential. Social platforms have emerged as powerful and cost-effective tools for shaping this identity, offering businesses unprecedented opportunities to engage with their target audience, articulate their value, and differentiate from competitors.

Harnessing the strategic value of social platforms

From a financial perspective, investing in social platforms can be one of the most strategic decisions for businesses seeking to build a brand identity. For SMBs, this investment is particularly valuable as these platforms provide a relatively low-cost avenue to reach a broad and diverse audience. Unlike traditional marketing channels, which often require significant financial resources, social media allows businesses to level the playing field with larger competitors by focusing on authenticity, creativity, and engagement.

The key to leveraging social platforms lies in understanding their unique dynamics. Successful brands use social platforms not simply as broadcasting tools but as means of fostering meaningful connections with customers. A brand’s identity is built by consistently sharing content that resonates with the audience, responding to feedback in real time, and adapting the brand narrative based on audience insights. From a CFO’s perspective, this not only maximizes the return on investment but also drives long-term brand loyalty and customer retention—critical factors for sustainable growth.

Building brand identity through financially responsible engagement

Authentic engagement is a cornerstone of effective brand building, particularly for businesses operating with limited marketing budgets. Social platforms offer a cost-efficient way to maintain an open line of communication with customers, allowing brands to engage directly with their audience and foster loyalty without requiring large capital expenditures.

By prioritizing transparency and consistent engagement, businesses can create a brand that is both financially viable and highly relatable. This kind of approach is particularly important when resources are limited, as it enables companies to build emotional connections with their customers, create a loyal community, and enhance brand equity—all without incurring the significant costs associated with traditional marketing methods. The financial advantages of this strategy cannot be overstated: building a loyal customer base through social media engagement often results in lower customer acquisition costs and higher lifetime value.

Leveraging trends and innovations to maximize financial returns

The digital landscape is continuously evolving, and businesses must stay agile to maintain relevance. New trends and innovations in social media, such as live streaming, interactive content, and user-generated content, offer businesses opportunities to further strengthen their brand identity. From a financial standpoint, capitalizing on these innovations can help businesses maximize their marketing efforts while controlling costs.

For example, using data analytics tools available on a social platform like TikTok allows businesses to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and optimize their marketing spend. CFOs can directly tie marketing efforts to tangible financial outcomes, ensuring that every dollar invested yields a return. Social platforms that offer real-time insights and performance metrics provide businesses with the ability to make informed, data-driven decisions, enhancing both brand identity and profitability.

As businesses grow, the role of social platforms becomes even more critical in scaling their brand identity. Beyond brand building, social platforms provide opportunities to enter new markets, forge strategic partnerships, and drive global expansion—all with relatively minimal upfront investment.

For startups and SMBs, social platforms can be leveraged to build brand identity on a global scale without the need for significant capital outlays. This scalability ensures that as businesses expand, their brand identity remains consistent, strong, and adaptable to new audiences. From a financial perspective, the ability to expand brand reach without the associated high costs of traditional marketing channels is invaluable.

A CFO's perspective

In conclusion, social platforms are not merely tools for marketing departments; they are strategic assets that can significantly contribute to a company’s overall financial success. For CFOs, the financial implications of leveraging social media for brand building are clear: it provides a cost-effective, scalable, and data-driven approach to establishing and enhancing brand identity.

By strategically using social platforms, businesses can not only build a strong brand identity but also generate long-term financial benefits. As a CFO, recognizing the potential of these platforms and integrating them into the broader financial strategy is key to driving sustainable growth and ensuring the brand’s longevity in an ever-competitive digital landscape.

(The writer is the CFO of Softlogic Life, Council Member - Open University of Sri Lanka and Former Council Member Institute of Charted Accountants Of Sri Lanka)