Often described as a sign, logo, or name, branding identifies the product or services you sell.
Branding your company isn’t as simple as creating a logo, purchasing promotional products, or keeping things afloat on social media platforms. Branding is about gaining the trust of your customers, rather than just creating the image of it. The following 4 keys to effective branding will help your company gain the recognition it deserves while arousing the interest of your target audience.
Consistency is Key
The key to a harmonious business is consistency. If what you say and what you do don’t align you’ll quickly lose the interest and respect of your customers. What your company stands for and believes in must be consistent across the line in order to achieve this place of “trust”. Your customers need to believe that your actions will always be influenced by the focus and vision of your company. How you handle complaints, your advertising tactics, and even your social media posts must add up and mirror the company you’re “selling.” Otherwise, your customers will call your bluff, feel lied to, and lose interest in what you’re all about. If you stay consistent in all of your relations people will never have to doubt what your business is about.
Likability
Is your brand easy on the eye? If you’re in the design process for your website, products, or your logo, likability is a huge consideration. Often what a business owner envisions likeable for themselves, might not go over well with the general population. Think twice before spelling your business name awkwardly, or using too many colors or patterns in your logo. The more drawn people are to your product, the more likely they’ll become a customer. This takes research and a thorough analysis of your target audience. You also need to look at your current competition and determine what works for them, and what doesn’t. See the world through the eyes of your future customers and ask yourself, “would I buy this”? If not, why not? Is there anything you can change to appeal to the masses?
Adaptability
The world is constantly in motion. Your business should be strong enough and adaptable so that you can project, as well as meet, the future needs of your customers. While short-term goals can help you build your brand, if you’re not looking into the deep future, you could be building a dinosaur of a business. Look at the current technology trends and see how they might affect your future business plans. Is your website mobile-friendly? Have you opted to use SMS messaging to send discount and promotion codes to your customers or are you still relying on printed coupons? Are you selling an industry trend with little chance of becoming evergreen? How can your company evolve from its current state should you see yourself in the next 20 years? What’s your future business look like, and do you have a blueprint to get there? Adaptability is key in successful branding.
Innovation
Are you a forward thinking business? Think about that, and the box you might be in. Innovation is new and different. It might be a unique product that puts your brand on the map. Behind the scenes, an organization needs to be innovative in order to make marketing powerful. Without newness, marketing stands still. What are your bringing to your industry and what sets you apart from your competition is what brands you. You’re either a leader or a follower, proactive verses reactive. Innovation inspires confidence and trust in your customers because they see the strategy and the path you’re on for the future.
Create the Future of Your Brand
Innovation. Adaptability. Likability. Consistency.
No matter how creative your business logo, without these 4 keys to successful branding, your company might fail to capture its target audience in time to secure its healthy place in the future.
Branding encompasses everything your company does. From the way it treats employees to the organizations or charities it supports, your brand will ALWAYS be tied to your image. Are you making a powerful impression?
We live in a digital age where brand names also reign. There’s soda and then there’s Coke. There are tennis shoes, and then there is Nike. There are cellphones, but only one iPhone. The biggest difference between a product and a brand is distinctiveness. Once you understand what makes your company unique you can begin to develop your brand further by following these basic steps, while staying true to the unique path of your company. So long as your efforts are consistent and your passion unrelentless, you can set yourself apart from the competition.
Does your company share these successful branding traits? Leave a comment below and let us know the characteristics you believe make your brand unique. Have a tip or want to share something else that has worked in successfully branding your business? We’d love to hear it!
