Why Branding?
Creating a brand is a huge part of your marketing strategy. Without a brand, how do people know who you are and what you do? How do you make yourself stand out? Your brand is also something you do not want to create after you have already opened. The brand will inform your customers of the services you provide and what your mission is as a business. You are not just another small business who opened up – you are professional and determined, with a mission that exceeds people’s expectations and needs. You want to establish an image so that when you are open, people know what to expect. As you do grow and evolve, you want to keep getting feedback in order to ensure that you are holding up to the expectations you already established.
Discovering Your Brand
It may be confusing to come up with a brand at first, as there is a lot about your business to consider. Start by asking yourself some basic questions about your business. What is your mission? How will be people benefit from your services? What do your current customers already think of you? Is there something in particular you want people to think of when they think of your company? If you are not sure, ask your customers directly; get some feedback with a survey, an email, etc. You also want your brand to clearly deliver the message of your business, confirm your credibility, motivate customers to work with you, and create loyalty. There is a lot to consider when creating a brand for your business but, it is all worth it when you become one-of-a-kind and continue to grow.
Creating a Brand
There is a strategy that business owners should have in order to create a successful brand. The strategy includes how, what, where, when, and to whom you communicate and deliver your services to, where you advertise, distribution channels, and what you communicate to your audience. If your business is specifically for a certain audience, then you will want to focus on them and figure out how to get your message out so that they know about you. You want to speak to them directly, whether through social media, emails, or even on your website. They will know that your business and services are specific to their needs/wants.
Again, there is a lot to consider when trying to create your brand so do not expect to come up with something on the first day. Be ready to fail and embrace it so you can keep working to create the perfect brand. As stated in the graphic design post, graphic designs are incredibly important to your business’ success. When you have a logo associated with your brand, you want it to pop out among all the others. Keep it colorful and specific to your business. That will help your brand to be successful. Also, go beyond your logo. It tells people about your business but you do not want it to be the only thing that does so. You want a mission statement that goes beyond telling your audience what services you provide and you want an image that is reputable and more than just a colorful logo.
Getting the Word Out
Once you have established your business’ brand, you want to start getting it out so that people know about you. After you are up and running, you want your brand to reach new customers regularly. Your logo should be everywhere – billboards, clothing, vehicles, social media, emails, and your website. Integrate your brand into every aspect of your business – answering phone calls, replying to/sending out emails, uniforms, etc. Develop a ‘voice’ that reflects your brand – is it formal? Friendly? When sending out emails, posting on social media, or even talking on the phone, the same ‘voice’ should always be conveyed. This tells people you are consistent. Consistency and being true to your brand are very important. If you do not meet the expectations you set and promised to your customers, then why should they return? Your customers will continue to return when they see that you consistently meet your expectations and stay true to your brand.
Keeping it Relevant
After a certain amount of time doing business, you want to make sure your brand is staying relevant; you do not want it to just fade into the background. The brand should evolve as your business does. As mentioned before, getting feedback is CRUCIAL to making sure that you are meeting expectations. While receiving feedback, it is important to have an open mind. It can be beneficial because you can change things that you did not know were potential problems and/or you can grow as a business and continue to meet your customers’ needs. Innovation can help keep your brand alive. When you change things up a bit – add a new service or offer promotions – you surprise your current customers and create an appeal to new customers.
Do not allow your audience to forget about you. Staying active on social media and regularly communicating through emails or phone calls allows your audience to keep you relevant. Communicating sales, promotions, special offers, services, etc. tells new customers about you and your current customers are reminded why they continue to go back to you for business. Many people can get caught up in all the excitement of a new business but, always stay focused and remember why you started your business and why it is important to your customers. Keep your brand in the front at all times and remember why your customers love returning to you for business.
Accuracy
Make sure your online platforms are accurate. If you have a website, people may access it from their phones or computers. You should check the website often so that you know it is accurate and up-to-date. Any special offers should not be advertised if they are outdated, feedback should be handled professionally, the blog should be updated, and your social media buttons should lead your customers directly to each different platform. Any issues that you discover should be handled immediately so customers know you are committed to offering them the best online experience.
Allow Your Brand to Help You
Your brand is incredibly important to your business and when you put time and effort into it, you will really benefit from it. You want people to look at your business and see what you have to offer and the expectations they should hold you to. The brand should always stay up-to-date and evolve as your business does – that shows your customers that you care about them and your business. The road to creating your perfect brand may be long but it is worth it when your business succeeds.
