Too much ‘branding’ advice… too little value. Too much marketing fluff and not enough real-world tactics to help you stand out. Get the rundown on what you need to know about branding and how you can use it to enhance your business in today’s competitive market.
Spare a thought for the average consumer. Before the digital age, modern consumers were already being bombarded by thousands of advertising messages every day. Now, with social media, online shopping, and limitless mobile devices, it’s become almost impossible for consumers to get away from advertising messages. On average, Americans are exposed to up to 10,000 ads every day.
With so much noise in the market (and no way to escape it), buyer attention spans are shorter than ever. It gets worse – studies show that the average human attention span has dropped to 8 seconds from 12 seconds in 2000. To put it into perspective, we now have attention spans less than a goldfish!
If you’re an entrepreneur launching a new business, or a seasoned brand trying to capture new customers, you might be wondering how you can get your message to stand out among possibly 10,000+ other brands that are competing for your audience’s attention. How do you craft a marketing message that will reach customers and motivate them to buy?
Branding can help!
Branding is more than just a logo and colors; it goes deep into the core of what your business does and why it exists. When done right, it can help you attract customers who will become loyal fans.
That said, let’s face it: branding isn’t easy. The competition is fierce, the market is constantly changing, and if your business has been around for a while, you might already feel like it’s too late to make a big splash. But no matter how long you’ve been in business, there’s always room for improvement when establishing (or re-establishing) your brand identity. In this post, we’ll go over all the essentials of branding in 2022.
Let’s start by defining “branding”
Branding is about creating a connection with your audience, encouraging them to see you as the only solution to their problem.
Branding is not a logo. Branding is not a name. Branding is not even a color scheme. That’s all just the aesthetic: what it looks like on the surface. But those things don’t make a brand, at least not in and of themselves. The real definition of branding is more complicated and involves more than just the visual.
Branding is the act of differentiating yourself from others in your industry. Of course, this comes down to things like your voice and messaging; but it also means your products or services are better in some way. What is it about you that makes you stand out? The answer to that question should be rooted in both how you want others to perceive you as well as how your customers feel when they think about your business.
It includes how your business presents itself to the world – it’s everything it says and does, from how it answers the phone to how it handles complaints. It’s about creating an emotional bond with your future clients, and cementing your place in their minds as the brand they turn to when they need the product or service you provide. If you want to be successful, you need positive branding.
Why is Branding important?
Picture this:
You’re walking through a mall, and you pass by the brand-new Apple store. You stop in your tracks, drawn in by the beautiful—and familiar—design of the interior. You’re not even an Apple user; in fact, you’ve never purchased anything from Apple before. But you feel like you know the company like you’re friends with them.
A well-crafted brand gives you a clear sense of direction for all your marketing efforts, as well as a way to stand out against competitors. It helps build loyalty among existing customers, making it easier for them to recognize you at first glance (and get excited about seeing you again). And when you’re ready to grow—or change directions—a strong brand can help show consumers who you are and where you want to go next.
Brand development – How to Build an Awesome Brand!
Get out your magnifying glass, Sherlock. We’re talking about how to investigate and build a brand that’s worthy of being written up in the newspaper (or a blog post). Don’t worry if you don’t have the entire company figured out yet—that’s what this is all about! You’ll be on your way to uncovering everything you need to know about your business.
Start with Why
Your “why” is your purpose, cause, or belief. It’s the thing that inspires you and acts as your guiding light. Your target audience doesn’t care what you do or how you do it; they care why you do it. For example, Simon Sinek famously said, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” So, why not speak to that?
Define Your Audience
In this game of “Build an Awesome Brand!,” the first thing you need to do is define your audience. Who are the people you want to be using your product or service, and why would they need it? This is a group of people with identifiable characteristics that share similar needs and wants, and that can be targeted with personalized messages. They all have something in common and are all most likely to respond to your marketing message because they are already interested in your brand.
To effectively strike a connection with your target audience, you need to define them first. Think about who they are and what they care about. This can be done in a variety of ways, but here are some questions to get started:
- What are their demographics?
- What are their pain points?
- How can I uniquely solve those problems for them?
Get as specific as possible in this phase because my dear marketing friend: knowing your audience is the key to compelling branding!
Put some thought into creating an apt mission statement
Think pickup lines…
The best pickup lines don’t tell too much about yourself, but they do give others enough information to make them want more. Your mission statement should do the same.
Your mission statement explains what makes you unique, who you serve, and why they should care. Think of it as an elevator pitch for your company – a summary of how you can help solve a problem for your customers.
Here’s the truth: A good mission statement should reflect your company’s vision and values—not just what you want to do. Companies that don’t get this right often end up with a generic mission statement that could apply to any business.
Determine your unique selling proposition
Have you ever wondered why some brands or offers get more attention than others? The answer is simple: they are different. They know exactly what makes them different and they communicate it.
These could be values such as care for the environment, authenticity, honesty, or commitment to a cause. It could be the features of your product or service. For example, providing a personalized experience where you cater to each client’s needs on an individual basis. Or it could be a product feature, special service, or even a personality trait that sets you apart from the competition. Whatever it is, it has to be meaningful for your business.
It’s important to note that your USP isn’t just about being different or better than your competitors. It’s also about being different or better for your target audience. That means if other brands are offering something similar, figure out which one of those things is most important to your audience and make sure it’s communicated in your USP. For example, if you’re a small local clothing store that sells the same items like a larger chain retailer, your USP could be “personalized fashion advice.” You may have access to the same clothes as the big retailer, but what they don’t have is someone who can sit down with customers and help them pull together outfits based on their tastes and lifestyles.
Become visually appealing
You know when you walk down the street and see a cute person? And then you turn around and look again because they’re so damn good-looking? You need your customers to do that for you. Look at you. And again. And again. You can’t expect them to get to know and love you if they don’t even notice you at first.
That’s where visual assets come in. These are the things people associate with your brand, like a logo, but also the little details of your brand’s identity, like the colors or font you use on your website or packaging. Your visual assets are the first thing customers will notice about your product, so they must represent what makes your product unique and desirable.
Don’t just sound like everybody else
Now that you’ve done the work to find your true identity, it’s time to start shouting it from the rooftops.
Brand voice is another part of your company’s identity; it’s the tone of your communication with customers. For example, some companies use a very authoritative voice. Other brands use a more playful voice: They joke around because they want their product to be associated with fun and lightheartedness. Whatever your brand voice is, it should go with the rest of your image; if you’re trying to seem professional and sophisticated, using an overly casual tone won’t strengthen that image.
So the first step in developing your brand voice is to figure out what kind of personality you want people to associate with your product or service — this is called positioning and it should correlate with the overall message of your brand (and the visuals).
The second thing you need to do is make sure that all of your copy has that same consistent tone of voice so that no matter where consumers interact with your brand, they get the same experience.
You must take the time to distill all of the information around your brand into a punchy, concise message that conveys who you are and what you’re offering. If you can’t do it in a few short words, then there’s a problem! You need to nail this down before proceeding with any other branding work.
Make sure that all of your messaging whether on your website or in advertisements is consistent with your brand identity. If you need help coming up with content ideas, think about what kind of questions your customers might be asking (or would ask if they knew they could).
A restaurant might start a discussion about where to buy healthy food; a clothing store can talk about how to pair clothes based on occasions. In their ways, both are communicating the same thing: that they understand their users’ needs and have information that can help. The more you reinforce this connection between user needs and brand value, the more trust you’ll build with consumers.
Sell your brand
Congratulations! You’ve done the hard work to get this far. But now you need to start selling your brand. You’ll need to be doing this all the time, but it’s important to get it right from the beginning.
Whatever your business is, whatever it is that you do – always be honest, authentic, and real when you’re marketing your business. People will see through any false promises or exaggerated claims very quickly. If you can start a conversation with your audience and let them get to know the real you behind the brand, then they’ll be much more likely to warm to you and ultimately buy from you.
Here are some strategies for marketing your brand:
Develop a great website: A website should be the centerpiece of your online communication strategy. It’s a place where people can get information about what you offer and how to contact you or buy from you. Make sure your site is easy to navigate, has good aesthetics, and is full of useful content that benefits visitors. When choosing a domain name, be sure that it matches the name of your company so people can find you easily online, plus, make sure it’s something that will be easy for people to remember and type into their browser bar. You should also consider having subdomains. Subdomains are like separate websites that are connected to the main one but focus on different things.
On a side note
In case you would like to discover the subdomains of any target domain to uncover potential attack entry points you can check this tool – https://subdomains.whoisxmlapi.com/
Use social media: Social media is a great way to engage with potential customers, build relationships with them, and share important updates about your company. Choose one or two platforms that make sense for your business, based on factors like the demographics of your target market and the platform’s unique features (for example, Instagram is geared toward visual content).
Create a YouTube channel: If you have products or services that lend themselves well to video demonstrations or tutorials, consider developing video content for YouTube or other video-sharing sites. In addition to being an effective marketing tool, videos can give people a positive impression of your business by showing them what kind of expertise you’re able to offer.
Engage with your audience on forums: Forums are an incredible outlet for connecting with people who share similar interests and experiences with your brand. By engaging in meaningful conversations online, these forums can help bring like-minded people together and build loyalty among them toward your brand.
Provide Excellent Customer Service: After-sales service is one of the top ways to build a brand that sells. If you provide excellent customer service, people will be more likely to do business with you again and tell others about their experience. Always treat people with respect and try to exceed expectations by offering extra services or products at no charge when possible.
Packaging: No matter how great your products or services are, if they are packaged in a way that is confusing for the customer, it is going to be hard to get them to buy from you. On the other hand, if you package it in a way that makes the customer experience easy and pleasurable, they will associate that pleasure with your brand. It is also important to make sure that the packaging matches the kind of product or service you’re offering. For example, if you’re selling artisanal jewelry made by hand, it would probably be best not to use plastic wrapping or boxes. Product packaging has a huge impact on how consumers view the product. A well-designed package can make all the difference in a customer’s decision to purchase (or not).
Advertising: You can create a marketing strategy that includes advertising options that work for your business and product, such as print ads, TV spots, or radio broadcasts. Do most of your customers use social media? Create an advertising campaign on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Remember that quality is better than quantity when it comes to advertising. You may be able to get a deal on bulk ad space, but if the audience isn’t right, you won’t make any sales. Instead of running an ad everywhere possible, choose one or two outlets where you believe most of your customers spend time.
Sponsorships: One way to sell a brand is by sponsoring local events such as school sporting events. Offering money to an event helps the event organizer fund their event while also allowing your company brand to be promoted.
Use loyalty programs: The main aim of any loyalty program is to keep customers coming back by rewarding them for their purchases. Some loyalty programs offer discounts on future purchases while others provide points that can be redeemed for rewards or prizes. Plus, you’d want to make brand ambassadors out of these loyal customers, right? In this case, you can encourage your best customers to become advocates for your business, which can help generate more sales. However you choose to reward them, this strategy will help ensure repeat business!
Provide incentives: Offer something in exchange for a customer’s loyalty. For instance, offer a coupon or discount to customers who sign up for your email newsletter. You can also offer something like a freebie or giveaway when customers share your content on social media.
Keep at it – be consistent
Branding is not a one-and-done task. Building a brand that stands out from the competition requires constant effort, but it is well worth the investment. Every contact with your company is an opportunity to reinforce your brand and make a good impression—from the first time a potential customer sees your logo, to the final handshake at a sale, to the thank you email for their business. Do all of these things consistently and you’ll be on your way to building a strong brand!
Final Thoughts
There’s no magic formula when it comes to branding. But here’s what we know: the best brands have personality, purpose, and meaning. They’re true to themselves and they don’t try to be everything to everyone. They have a point of view and they stand for something. They are smart, strategic, and consistent in all that they do. And when you put forth your best self into the world, people will respond. They’ll respond because they want a piece of something that feels good to them. Something that makes them feel seen or heard or understood—something that feels like it was made just for them. It isn’t about telling your audience how fabulous you are; it’s about consistently delivering on your promise and letting them discover it for themselves.