Building a brand is so important in business, but it’s something that many small companies can overlook. Think of it this way, you’re not just selling a product but a lifestyle- to attract people to your business your brand needs to target them in the right way. People instinctively trust well-known brands, they’re prepared to spend more on them as they know they’re getting a guarantee of quality. They know they will get what they asked for, and any problems will be resolved quickly and efficiently. To get ahead of your competitors, building a recognizable brand really is one of the best things you can do. Here are a few reasons why.
Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By TierneyMJ
Your Brand Builds Trust
Since the rise of the internet being so readily available, there have been a surge in businesses. This is fantastic as it gives the consumer lots of options, and also means many people can pursue their dreams and set up their own business instead of being stuck in the rat race. However, it does come with a downside, and that’s fierce competition. Because having a brand builds trust, people are more likely to shop with you than your lesser known competitors. With so many fraudulent and scam sites online, customers can be rightly concerned about ordering from new places so like to stick with companies they recognize or have shopped with before. This is just one reason to build up a good brand.
Your Brand Sets You Apart
With so many similar businesses competing for the same customers, you need to be sure you’re offering something different. You and all of your competitors might sell clothes for example, so what makes your business different? Do you sell budget items, or luxury designer items? Of course, both of these things will appeal to very different customers. Do you sell clothing in a certain style, or maybe you offer things like free fast delivery, payment plans or just something different to what others are doing? Building your brand allows you to find your niche and gain your own customer base. It means you will get customers that are interested in your business specifically making it easy for them to choose you over your competitors.
How Do I Go About It?
Building a brand is much more than creating a website, logo and graphics but it’s a good place to start. Work with a web designer and a graphic designer and have them create something just for you. The best brands are recognizable in an instant, in some cases from just a shape or color combination. Everything you send out should contain your logo, from emails to letters to business cards, even custom packaging if you’re sending out products. You can this created just for you, from standard to the more obscure such as cannabis packaging. It’s another way to get your brand out there. If you’re advertising on television, then it should also show it to get the image into people’s minds. If you’re advertising on radio, coming up with a catchy jingle can be helpful. The next step is to think of your slogan, it needs to be catchy and memorable. Be sure to trademark all of this once you’re happy with the design, to ensure no other companies can infringe on your copyright.
Promoting Your Brand
Once you have everything in place, the next step is promotion. Social media is great for this and as a bonus the sites are free to set up, however it’s worth hiring a social media marketer if you’re unsure of how to go about things. Sending out spammy links for example will likely put people off rather than encourage clicks. Interesting graphics, competitions, games and more can all encourage interaction- an experienced professional will know what to do with this. Video marketing, blogger outreach and affiliate marketing are other ways to get your brand message across, again you could outsource this if you’re unsure as the workings behind marketing can be surprisingly complex. For example, search engines often change the criteria of what’s allowed and what will be blacklisted, so go about things wrong and you could do more harm than good. Attending networking events such as trade shows and business exhibitions on a is another way to get your company’s name out there and meet potential customers and clients. There are networking events for all kinds of industries across the globe, so you could do some research and find out if there’s one you could attend. Even if you need to travel, it’s often worth the expense. Set up an interesting stall and engage with those who come to see you. Have plenty of leaflets and business cards at the ready so that people can take your information away with them.
