Up to 59% of consumers prefer to spend their hard-earned money on products and services from brands that are familiar to them, according to a recent Nielsen survey. As the world slowly returns to a certain degree of normalcy amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, small business owners have to work harder than ever before to compete against big-name brands. When you don’t have countless loyal customers and a near-unlimited marketing budget, building a strong brand is of the utmost importance. Your brand will undoubtedly become one of your most valuable assets and deserve as much consideration as your product or service development does.
Thankfully, brand development does not have to be a nightmare, and a few basic guidelines will make it a lot easier to help you create a brand that can give the industry leaders a run for their money.
Identify and research your target market
One of the most important foundations for effective brand building is to identify the target audience you will be focusing your marketing and product/service development efforts on. You need to ask yourself who your clients are, and if you answer, ‘Everyone,’ you know it is time to go back to the drawing board. Research has shown that a brand with a clearly-defined client base typically enjoys more rapid growth and higher profits, as your marketing efforts will be focused and not diluted. In order to narrow down your target client base, it is important to conduct sufficient research. This research enables a business owner to not only understand their target client’s priorities but anticipate their needs as well. Try to establish the lifestyle habits and behaviors of your client base and develop your brand message accordingly.
Develop a killer name, logo and catchphrase
Although your name, logo and catchphrase are not your brand, they are a pivotal part of your brand identity and therefore need to be eye-catching and meaningful. Everything from the front you use to the colors you choose will influence the way your client base perceives your brand. Make sure your logo is striking, but refrain from choosing something that is overly-complicated. Your catchphrase must be easy to vocalize and easy remember, and it must not be in any way offensive to your clients or the general public. There are a number of methods you can employ to conduct your brand name development. Some business owners simply enjoy a moment of creative ingenuity; others need to dwell on it a bit more and perhaps even enlist the help of a professional naming service. These service providers can, in fact, prove to be very useful, as they can also test instant reactions to the name and help establish its memorability.
Create an online presence
Over the past few decades, the internet has opened countless doors for business entities. Having a strong online presence will allow you to build a competitive brand and enjoy the credibility that is required to attract an increasing client base. An online presence not only makes a business increasingly accessible, but it also allows potential clients to gain greater insight into the workings of the business. According to renowned author Jeff Bullas, it is important to build your own online platform such as a website or blog, and then amplify the content with a social media presence. With more than 2 billion users, Facebook remains one of the most effective social media platforms for business use. Other platforms worth developing a presence on include Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even Pinterest. You can choose to utilize as many platforms as you wish, as long as they resonate with you. Once you have established a solid online presence, you can consider harnessing the power of guest blogging and content marketing.
Dare to get creative
When creating a strong brand awareness you need to think outside the box. This does not mean that you cannot employ a number of tried-and-tested brand-building methods, but that creativity can set you apart from the competition. Some of the techniques worth considering include hosting podcasts, setting up referral programs, and partnering with other local businesses. You can also continue to put your own personal and very creative spin on old favorites such as social media competitions, give-aways, and the offering of free premium content. If you need help to develop your unique brand awareness ideas, you may want to consider appointing a brand developer that can help you turn them into terrific, actionable campaigns.
Having a strong brand will undoubtedly be of great benefit to business of all sizes as the world returns to normalcy during the pandemic. Not only will it increase the monetary value of the company, but it will also provide employees with much-needed motivation and direction while making it substantially easier to attract and retain new clients.
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