What makes a brand successful?
It is a fact that more than half of the consumers buy products from well-known brands, which implies it is crucial to find your uniqueness and stand out from all the famous companies. If you just started your business, it may not be such a simple task to compete with the business giants, but it is possible if you follow the basic principles of brand building.
First, you must realize that a brand is more than just a beautiful picture.
A brand is the overall perception of your business by customers, and a successful brand must be consistent in its communication with customers and their customer experience:
- Showcase or office
- Printing, signage, packaging
- Website and advertising
- Content publishing
- Sales and customer service
It is a lengthy process, but it will help you build long-term relationships with your clients.
Establishing a significant brand identity lead to:
- Continuous growth in sales
- An increase in the number of projects
- Feedback about your products or services
So, how can you build a successful brand? Effective marketing strategies and campaigns can help you create a unique and lasting image in the market. You can achieve it via:
- Site
- SEO and content marketing
- Mass media
- Advertising mailing
- Social media marketing
- Advertising in search engines
Together, these channels are fundamental to brand awareness and growth.
So, where should you start to build a successful brand?
Define the target audience of your brand
You can not please everyone, so keep in mind those who are interested in your product when determining a mission and message that meet the needs of these people.
Your message should be specific, so find out what interests your clients and what kind of life they lead. A genuine understanding of the customer’s personality will help you develop an effective brand-building strategy. Here are a few things you need to know when creating a portrait of your prospect:
- Age
- Sex
- Location
- Occupation
- Income
- The level of education
You may realize that this step during branding helps to narrow your audience and appeal to a specific person.
Formulate the mission of your brand
Have you ever thought about the mission of your brand?
You need to have a distinct vision of where your company is heading. The mission is the reason you get up every day. Before you can build a brand your target audience trusts, you need to know where your business fits.
The mission statement defines the purpose of its existence and all other aspects of your brand-building strategy. Everything from a slogan and a tone of voice to the logo should reflect this mission. When customers ask what you do, answer them by stating your brand mission statement. Let us look at a specific example.
Nike. We all know the Nike slogan. Just Do It. Its mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world, and a footnote to the statement says If you have a body, you are an athlete. Think about how wide their target audience becomes with this approach.
When developing your brand, start small and focus on a narrow audience. Over time, loyalty to your brand can grow so much that you can substantially expand your area of influence. It is one of the most significant steps in the branding process.
Research brands in your niche
If your business is still small-scale or just starting, do not repeat what the big brands are doing in your area. But you need to know what they do well and where they made mistakes. Your goal is to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Make them buy from you.
Research your competitors and reference brands. But remember, for your brand to be effective, customers must easily recognize and remember it. To do this, answer these key questions:
- Do your competitors carry the same message across all channels?
- What is the quality of their product or service?
- How do competitors promote their business?
- Pick a few competitors and conduct a comparative analysis. I am sure you will find many valuable ideas.
Describe the main qualities and benefits that your brand offers
There will always be brands with bigger budgets and resources than yours. Your products, services & benefits belong exclusively to you. Building a memorable brand happens when you dig deep to understand what you should offer that no one else can. Focus on the qualities and benefits that make your company unique.
Assuming you know exactly who your target audience is, give your customers a reason to choose their brand over another. It is important to note that this is not just a list of features your product or service offers for your audience. Think about how you can improve their lives and what specific result or solution you can provide.
Here are some examples:
- Better and more transparent customer service
- The best way to get results
- Reducing costs with a more affordable option
- Save time on daily tasks
Apple. One of its main qualities is a clean design, and the key advantage is its ease of use. Remember the motto from 1997-2002? Think Different. It still exists today.
Create a brand logo and slogan
When you think about building a brand, visuals come to mind first. The most exciting element of the brand-building process is creating a logo and slogan for your company.
This logo will appear on everything related to your business. It will become your identity, your calling card & visual recognition of your promise. So be prepared to invest time and money in creating something exceptional to enhance the visual identity of your branded business.
Form your signature tone of voice
The tone of voice is the style of your communication with your audience. It depends on your mission, audience & industry. It is how you communicate with your customers and how they react to you.
The voice of the brand can be:
- Professional
- Friendly
- Service-oriented
- Authoritative
- Technical
- Informative
There are a lot of options. Choose what is accurate for your brand. Your tone of voice should resonate with your target audience. And if you take this step right, you will see how powerful their feedback can be. It is especially true for your internet marketing communications.
Create a brand message
After completing all the previous steps, you have something to say to your customers. Tell them about yourself – who you are and what you are offering. Use the tone of voice you have chosen for your brand. Your message should be clear and fit in one or two sentences.
This part of the brand development process goes beyond the logo and slogan. Identify the following key aspects:
- who are you
- what products do you suggest
- why should people buy it from you
When creating a brand message, it is essential not to pay attention to what your product can do but to why it matters to your customer.
Release your personality
Clients are not looking for a company that offers the same as everyone else. They look for experiences tailored to their needs, backed by genuine personal interaction.
Do you want to know how to make your business unique? Highlight your personality in every aspect of your brand-building process and be consistent.
Integrate your brand into every aspect of your business
The brand-building process never stops. Your brand should be visible and reflected in everything your clients see, read, or hear about the company.
For example, a customer walks into your office or store. A brand imprint should be everywhere – indoors, in communication style, and so on. Everything from business cards and advertising banners to packaging should have your logo.
All resources on the Internet must have your corporate identity. Make sure it is the same everywhere. Your website is a valuable marketing tool. Add voice, message, and personality to your content. Social media, video & all other communication channels should likewise convey the spirit of your brand.
Stay true to your brand identity
Unless you wish to change your brand to something more potent, consistency is a keystone. After establishing your brand voice, use it for every piece of content you create because the mismatch confuses your customers and complicates long-term brand building.
Be the Biggest Defender of Your Brand
Once you create a brand that works for your business, you and your employees become the best advocates for your brand.
Nobody knows your brand better than you. And only you decide how to talk about it.
When hiring employees, ensure they are culturally appropriate and aligned with your brand mission, vision & values. Encourage employees to create a personal brand that matches your branding process, further strengthening your reach.
Give voice to your regular customers and encourage them to leave reviews or share their content.
Conclusion
As you can see, creating your brand is a long-term process that requires a lot of effort and time. It is not a one-hour job, but it brings splendid dividends.
