80% of consumers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services”- SalesForce.com, 2018.
I'm sure you've heard of the saying, "Never judge a book by its cover." Within the imaginative, fantastical universe of writing, a dull book cover should never cause you to underestimate the value of an author's creative mind.
Yet, in the competitive world of startup business, this statement couldn't stand any further from the truth. Your business's cover or brand is the absolute most valuable tool you have to forge your way to success. In fact, in a post written by Entrepreneur, a lack of genuineness and failure to connect with a community are both crucial errors that lead to ultimate long-term business failure. Both errors of which relate to building a brand.
As a result, one misstep can truly disfigure an entire business. But don't be dismayed just yet! Building an amazing brand doesn't have to be something you do blindfolded. With the powerful tips aligned in this article, you will be sure to find the courage you need to build your brand ASAP.
Questions to Ask When Building a Brand
For a more visual metaphor, let's compare branding to a sandwich. Similar to how a sandwich is more than two slices of bread, a brand is more than just a simple name or logo. Let's cover a few vital questions you should be asking yourself and solving when building a brand.
1. What is building a brand strategy?
First, let's visualize the strategy as the starting piece of fluffy bread for a fresh, juicy submarine sandwich. It's absolutely necessary in creating a powerful foundation for developing your brand's master plan. The strategy effectively sketches out insights on:
What valuable product/service you are offering
Why that product/service will solve a customer problem
Who your target audience is
Where your specific niche will reach potential customers (online platforms, print, etc.)
When your core principles and message are ready to be promoted to the world
Building a brand strategy will lay out a solid founding stone that should answer the 5 W's and transform your ideas into a feasible asset.
2. What is the brand building process?
Depending on your dietary preferences, the next step of prepping that delicious sandwich is slapping on a bunch of filler meats or veggies, sauces, and lots of cheese! Likewise, the process of brand building falls in line with this necessary (scrumptious) task. Think execution here. Process involves executing the planned strategy for presentation to the public. Here, an identity is formed along with a general audience reputation. A couple fillers that go into effectively executing your process include:
The type of workers you hire to encourage positive engagements within the community
Every type of ad you develop on various platforms and where they redirect traffic to
All of the types of wrapping you design to label and package items
Whether physically, digitally, or psychologically, all of these 'types' showcase the vision of your idea to the world.
3. What is building brand awareness?
Now that you've finally finished that mouthwatering double decker sandwich, what now? Does its inviting allure urge you to scarf it down immediately...or do you prop it up on a glossy plate for foodie selfies on Instagram? Whichever floats your boat, the final step with both your sandwich and building a brand involves what you do with it next: bringing full awareness to its finished state. Awareness is most victorious when it falls in line with brand marketing. Marketing your brand can entail a host of creative avenues ranging from:
Niche specific social media campaigns
Billboards and car signs
SEO rich blogs or freebie sign up offers on landing pages
This last step is essential in tying up everything together for transparent, genuine value and representation.
Importance of Building a Brand- & Ways to Do It
The way you present your brand, online or in person, is just as critical as how you would present yourself. Making a good first impression matters, so keeping your strategy, process, and marketing consistent will deliver a neatly stacked snack that everyone can be willing to sink their teeth into. Here are a few more basics to brainstorm about when developing a brand for yourself.
1. Building a Brand Name
Throughout history, words have held much power and meaning to humans from all over the world. This holds true with something as simple (or complex) as your business. Since names hold the key to making a breaking your brand, here are a couple suggestions on choosing brand names:
Choose something memorable that a customer can recall after seeing it once.
Catchy, vivid, or even straight to the point names are great starters. (Ex. Best Buy, Chuck E. Cheese)
2. Building a Brand Image/Logo
A brand's logo or image should strive to be so unique that a customer can see it and instantly comprehend what it represents. Think along the lines of Taco Bell or Target. When creating a logo:
Keep it consistent with your brand goals. A product marketed towards children can find success with bright colors and use of wiggly fonts. On the other hand, a law firm trying to use these same concepts may seem childish to potential clients.
Keep the main focus clearly visible. For the most part, a cluttered logo showing too much detail can come off as unprofessional and not make a noteworthy appearance to viewers. Let the main idea or name of the brand take the spotlight. (Ex. A bookstore using an open book, a fishery business using a netted fish)
3. Building a Brand Presence
Where will your brand thrive? Creating the presence develops the atmosphere that influences the common interpretation your business radiates to the world. A couple tips for maintaining a good presence are to:
Use target channels to develop a credible, consistent identity. (Ex. Using TikTok to promote an influencer/sponsorship program for gamers might be stronger than using LinkedIn for the same.
Use similar graphic color schemes, slogans, tone of voice, and affiliate connections across all promotional streams.
Branding Your Business- Final Thoughts to Consider
In all honesty, constructing that perfect sandwich or any savory recipe is not an instant process- the same goes for building a brand. While you can make lunch in a day, success with a startup business will not come over night. In fact, most businesses take several years before they even begin to make a small percentage of sales driven conversions online. It's absolutely necessary to continue adding, replacing, rearranging, and creating valuable filler content to nurture your dream business to its full-grown victory. A step taken today with the help of these powerful tips is a step taken towards a chance of accomplishing your dreams. After all, you can never reach success if you never try to reach at all.
Are you ready to take the leap of faith and gift your brand to the world? At Moe's group, your product success is our number one priority. If you are interested in building your brand or business, review our website and submit an inquiry here: moesgroup.org Or give us a call HERE and one of our specialists will assist you.