Successful branding is the key to the success of almost any business. Everyone needs a strong brand: companies large and small, independent professionals, creative people and even non-profit organizations. We have already written that working on a brand is an ongoing process and that it needs to be done every day. But this is understandable, and it is unclear another – where to start?
As you may have noticed, branding and everything related to it will be the topic of today’s conversation. Let’s finally figure out what constitutes a good brand – one that you can love with all your heart.
Here’s How You Can Create a Strong Brand:
Lecture hall
The very first step is to understand who you are working for. Who is your target audience? What does she look like, where does she live, what does she do? What are her favorite sites and social networks? Find the answers to these questions – and half the job is done.
Budget
Think how much money are you willing to spend on brand development? This is an important issue and needs to be clarified from the outset. By the way, you can get by with a little blood and make something yourself, for example, a website and a logo. Before you spend, look for what you can save on – money, as you know, is never too much.
Involvement
In marketing, everything is constantly changing, so you need to keep an eye on where the industry is heading, keep your finger on the pulse, read the resources in the field, and see what other companies are doing.
“Voice” of the brand
Any good brand has its own “voice” and intonation, so you need to decide how to communicate with the audience. Equal or emphatically respectful? It is very important not to be mistaken here. For example, you can “listen” to how other brands do it.
Yes!
One of your goals is to make sure that any question about your brand can be answered “Yes.” Is this a good product? Yes. Can you trust this company? Yes! And it would be best if you believe in yourself, in your values and in what you do.
Daily schedule
Want to keep up with everything? This means that you have to learn how to manage time. Working on a brand is seriously addictive, so it is important to be able to start and finish.
Living stories
People are much more interested in brands that tell stories. Ideally, you want to make sure that whoever you reach out to also becomes a part of the story. The Dove campaign is a good example. This is not just an advertisement for soap or shampoo. And this is a story about us, our fears, our insecurities, and that we certainly deserve better treatment.
Zoom out
It is very easy to get bogged down in detail and stop seeing the forest for the trees. The little things are, of course, important, but do not forget to periodically “step back” and look at the whole situation.
Sincerity
Although you are going according to a predetermined plan, everything that comes from you should look alive, direct, truthful. But do not overdo it; otherwise, no one will believe that everything is exactly as you say.
Quality over quantity
People shouldn’t have any questions about the quality of your product or service. Remember: reputation is everything. Do not chase after the number of customers – it is better to have fewer but satisfied than many, but dissatisfied.
Influencers
To promote your brand, you will need the help of people popular in various circles – they are also called opinion leaders. These are not stars in the traditional sense of the word, but quite ordinary people: bloggers, Instagram users with a mountain of subscribers, leaders of local parties, etc. Their words carry weight, and that’s what you need.
Monetization
We are pleased to read good reviews on Facebook and see that many people visit our sites. But remember: this is not a victory yet. Winning is when your product or service sells well because, ultimately, the business starts to profit.
Persistence
Working on a brand is a long and detailed process that does not tolerate negligence. If you want to feel the results – do not work from time to time and not according to your mood, but constantly, every day, adhering to the plan and schedule.
Offline
The main part of branding tasks is the Internet because it is the most effective communication channel. But this does not mean that you should forget about offline. I was worried that you don’t have enough money to cover the whole city with ads? No big deal; there are many other good ways to get your message across to your audience.
The habit of experimenting
You can’t do without experimentation. The grooved tracks are, of course, comfortable and safe, but they also lead to predictable results. Our advice: learn to take risks and find unexpected solutions in everything – design, copy and promotion.
Diversity
Do you want as many people as possible to know about your brand? This means, use as many communication channels as possible. It would be best if you were sure to reach out to your audience, wherever they are.
Secret trump card
Every successful brand has at least one unbeatable trump card. Think, what is your specialty and how are you better than others? This will be your ironclad argument, which is difficult to argue with. The main thing is not to use it too often; otherwise, the effect will disappear.
Texts
We have already said everything about the design and corporate identity, and now we want to draw your attention to the texts. Please write clearly and convincingly so that the audience believes you and accepts everything you want to tell them.
Versatility
A strong brand will take root anywhere: in flyers and brochures, on a Facebook page, in a mailing list, on a website, landing page and in an oral presentation – in a word, everywhere. This means that your task is to develop a corporate identity that will fit into any format without question.
Form style
Your company needs to have a corporate identity to differentiate itself from competitors and make the right impression on people. Everything should be thought out: colors, fonts, words and images. And remember: the style is not made for the show but to work with it.
Charisma in communication
If you want to build good, lasting relationships with people, you need to make sure they do not stand on the sidelines but talk to you. This can be done both in social networks and in life – for example, at meetings or right in your store or office.
Target
You need a plan and a goal to understand what you are striving for in general. Sometimes you have to go astray and be distracted by something else, but always keep in mind the ultimate goal and do not forget why it all started.
What’s next?
It would be best if you asked yourself this question all the time. Please do not standstill. Think about the next step, about what you have not done yet, about your weak points and work on them.
Grinding
To not stand still, you need to carefully analyze your work and think about what can be improved. Take into account the experience of previous campaigns, analyze successful and unsuccessful cases, and work on mistakes. This is necessary to understand what to do and shoot not at random but precisely at the target.
Effective collaboration
You don’t have to do everything in splendid isolation. Even if you are well versed in design, writing, management and various other issues – do not deal with them yourself, rather trust the professionals. You will see, your business will only benefit from this.
Bright updates
Even if you are doing well, you need to shake yourself up and come up with something new from time to time. Maybe it’s time for you to refresh the logo? Or update the site? Or change your Facebook cover?
