Branding is at the core of every successful business and essential in creating an influential identity in the marketplace. It encompasses various marketing strategies and tactics designed to establish a dynamic presence.
Consider the iconic sound of a Macbook starting up, the swoosh of Nike shoes or that distinct Coca-Cola taste – these are all results of effective branding.
1. Create a Unique Identity
Branding is a strategy that defines what makes your business distinct and engaging to its target customers. From social media posts to billboard colors, branding entices consumers to choose your product over rival products.
Think of your brand as having an individual identity; to stand out, branding is vitally important to small businesses. Online, there may be hundreds or even thousands of businesses competing for customers’ attention – in order to be memorable, yours needs a distinct, unreplicated identity which branding provides – ingredients include:
2. Create a Story
Your brand’s story must engage your target audience and entice them to learn more. Aim for compelling narratives with emotional resonance that leave an indelible mark; avoid mundane tales without an impressive hook that stick out for all the wrong reasons, such as telling your target market about how environmentally-conscious your business is; however, emphasizing financial benefits would leave the tale feeling lackluster.
Utilize your brand story in every piece of marketing content you produce – such as your website, social media posts and any other means used to connect with consumers. Humanizing your business while increasing trust and brand affinity. Inspiring connections among customers – telling it well may even drive sales!
3. Communicate Your Values
Brand values play an integral part in customer decision-making, with 82% of consumers taking into consideration company values when making purchasing decisions. A 2021 Razorfish study concluded this finding.
Communication of core values should be regular. One effective approach to doing this is framing leadership and management decisions around those values, including correcting any behaviors which don’t adhere to them.
Communication of positive reinforcement of core value behaviors is also vital. Weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings provide a powerful means of discussing how an employee’s work embodies the core values of the organization – an invaluable way to reinforce employee retention and happiness within your workplace culture.
4. Build Trust
Building brand trust is integral to business. Consumers who believe in a brand are more likely to purchase its products and services, recommend it to others, and defend it when subjected to criticism.
Attaining brand trust takes more than simply saying “trust us”. Customers will notice and lose faith if your actions contradict what is said about you or if there are inconsistent experiences between products, experiences and behaviors – if this occurs they could quickly turn away from your brand altogether.
Cultivating relationships is integral to building brand trust with customers. Customers who feel connected with your brand will more likely promote it with friends and family, leading to new customers for your business and driving growth.
