We have spoke previously on why branding is important, and why it should be prioritised. This week we’re looking at top tips for building your brand. As just having a brand is not enough, it’s how you implement it that will be remembered.
You need to ensure you are consistent with your branding.
That means optimising your website, your social media, your content and any press release marketing all carry your consistent message.
Remember you need to keep your message consistent. So though you may want to take slightly different approaches to each of your social networks for example, you still need to make sure your voice shines through and is easily recognised.
As we spoke about previously, your brand is creating an expectation of who you are. So keeping consistent ensures your customers know exactly who you are, and that you can be relied upon.
Look at your website.
You need to ensure your site says everything about you, without being one giant sales pitch. That means fast loading times, clear and concise information, clear images, and great functionality.
In our blogs, we often compare to how your business would function if your website was your shop front. Though having a lovely looking site might attract people in, or having something temporary in place to get you going is all well and good. There are some fundamentals we have come to expect as customers.
Your customers (and potential customers) expect to find what they want. A helping hand if they need it. And to be able to buy the product of their choice. By taking the time on your website, you can underline your brand and your message. Fast delivery? Follow through. Huge selection of products? Have them displayed correctly and readily available. Products ethically sourced? Tell the tale in the product description.
There are over a billion websites live on the web. If yours does not stand out, and represent you well as a business, it becomes even harder to compete.
Consider a blog.
Businesses get scared when you mention blogging. What on earth would they write about? When would they have time? And what benefit would it bring them anyway?
It’s true that a good blog is a lot of effort to maintain, but it is incredibly worth it. Not even going into the SEO benefits it would bring your business. It is great for establishing your brand and your credibility within the industry.
Offer advice, opinions and solutions to problems your customers or clients may face. You’ll find more people returning to your website, and looking to you for answers when they stumble across problems. This sets you as a dependable brand, and one that looks out for their customers.
Work Social Media.
Then no doubt if you have made the leap to a functional website, you probably have a social media account for your business too. This may even be your only online presence.
Though social media is a lot more ‘casual’, it’s essential to continue to keep your brand in check. That is not only ensuring your cover photo, images and name are consistent, but your voice as a brand still shines through.
This is across any networks you are on, so choose carefully. Everything you post, share, like and interact with should still be a direct representation of your brand.
This is a little easier when you are a smaller business and no doubt live and breath your brand, so you can easily choose which are the best things to interact with. However if you are a bigger company who employ a few more people, it can sometimes be harder to maintain a consistent voice. This is where company briefing and perhaps even social media guidelines would be useful to put into place to ensure though you may have several people running one account, you have a consistent thread of posts and interactions.
Get your brand out there!
So that’s just a launch campaign, that’s using the tools you have above. Interact with similar users on social media, increasing your presence, your brand awareness and keeping your toe in all of the latest goings on. Blogging? Share your industry knowledge, or if you’ve found a great article, share that for others too.
Your brand is everything for your business, so making it excel at certain marketing pressure points like social media and through your website means you can make the most of all the hard work you put in to the branding process.
The stronger your brand becomes, the more you will not only attract the right type of customers, but people will aspire to be one of your customers. So it is worth the effort of maintaining your brand.
Next time we’ll be looking at re-branding, and if you’re finding your brand isn’t consistent with who you are as a company now, what steps you should take to get your brand back on track.
Until then, if you would like a helping hand with making the most of your brand, why not give us a call? Not only do we offer a free initial consultation where we can talk through your branding concerns, we also offer blogging and social media training sessions so you have the right tools to make the most of your brand. Call us today on 01543 495752 for a friendly chat.