Branding is equally important for both small and large businesses. Many business owners perceive branding as just a logo and therefore believe it is not an essential component of their marketing success. Little do they realize that many successful brands have effective branding, as branding provides businesses with numerous benefits such as having a strong identity, personality, and a point of difference which are crucial factors to help you stand out from the crowd.
Below are effective branding tips to help you build a strong brand for your business.
Maintain your brand.
Repeat the same message on all your marketing material, in your emails, and when you are face-to-face with your customers.
Target your market.
Do not aim to be the jack-of-all-trades type of brand. The best results are achieved when you focus on your target market, creating a brand that is relevant and an image that speaks to them. This allows you to build strong relationships with your customers and improve your brand value.
Commit yourself to a brand.
When you have become tired of your logo, tagline, and branding efforts, that is when customers sink in with it so never change it but stick with it.
Have a dedicated marketing plan.
Many organizations come up with ideas to market themselves and establish a brand identity but have neither the resources nor the plan as to how they will reach their audience. A well-thought-out marketing plan put in place before your branding strategy will work.
Build a strong online presence.
The first step to building a strong online presence is to have a website. Every business of any size or industry must have a well-designed website. A website also forms a crucial component of your marketing strategy and establishes the credibility of your brand. You can then start to use effective lead-generation tools to build your brand awareness and drive more visitors to your website. Some online lead-generation tools include:
- Social Media
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Content Marketing
- Inbound Marketing
Clearly identify yourself.
While catchy names and cool graphics can be interesting, they do not do a great job of telling your story. Your company name, logo, and slogan should provide insights into what you do and the products and services you offer.
Your brand should tell a story.
Let your name, slogan, and logo tell a story. Having a clear message behind your business will allow the consumer to grasp the pillars that your company embodies.
Design for the long-term.
Consider how your branding and logo will hold up over time. Communicating with a brand may drive you to the trendiest of design trends. However, you may want to think about how to bring that message to the life in a way that will not look outdated in the next five to ten years.
Position your brand.
Positioning your brand makes it different in the competitive landscape. Having a competitive advantage is essential to stand out from the crowd and increases your chance of being noticed or remembered. Tailor your branding strategy around the consumer’s point of view and answer these questions: What’s in it for them? Why should they buy my product vs my competitor’s?
Be consistent
Chances to engage with potential customers are precious. If your brand strategy is different on different channels, people won’t be able to decide what your brand is about. Brand awareness requires consistent messaging and crafting a consistent message requires keeping your channels harmonized.
Develop your mission statement
A mission statement is a one or two-sentence summary of the goals and values of an organization. Your mission statement should include these three points: define what is important to you, define your markets, and define the direction in which you intend to take the company. Every decision the business makes should be filtered through this mission statement.
Writing your mission statement and slogan is a process. To begin, just write a complete description of the products or services you offer, why and how you started the business, and which consumer group you want to serve. Your first draft will likely be very long, but your final draft should clearly define what your company stands for and reflect your personal style and tone in just a couple of sentences.
Conclusion
Building a business brand is about more than just creating an eye-catching logo—although that’s part of it. It’s about building relationships with your audience before they ever make a purchase. It’s about establishing your reputation as a trusted industry leader. It’s about creating opportunities to share valuable information that improves your followers’ lives and communicates your core ideology that drives your business activity.