Branding is the process through which organizations influence how their products are perceived by customers. A brand allows a business to create a strong reputation and make customers choose their products over competitors. For new business owners looking to start their branding journey, this article by That Social Geek explores various important steps to follow.
Before sharing any type of communication with the world, it's important to have a clear branding strategy, which you can create as follows: Identify your Target Market: Having a niche set of audiences allows you to channel time and resources toward catering to a focused group of customers. This involves undertaking market research, creating customer surveys, conducting competitor analysis, and more. Create a Brand Positioning: This is a short description of what your brand is about, how is it different from competitors, and most importantly, what value it brings to customers. Your positioning is at the crux of your branding efforts, hence invest ample time and thought towards it. Develop your Messaging: The messaging will be derived from your positioning but will need to be adapted based on the audience in question, which can include investors, clients, suppliers, etc. Messaging also includes how you will convey your positioning through marketing posts, blogs, websites, etc.
While there are various offline and online marketing channels to choose from, here are a few you should explore for your new business: Social Media: In addition to connecting your brand to thousands of customers daily, social media generates a ton of data. This data can be used to test the effectiveness of your messaging, learn about customer behavior, and make appropriate changes as needed. Moreover, social media helps humanize your brand by having real-time conversations with customers through comments, events, and messages. A good social media strategy leads to the creation of a strong brand in addition to increased revenue. Hence, to reap its full benefits, consider hiring an experienced agency, such as That Social Geek, to manage all marketing faucets, such as post design, publishing, customer relationship management, ad campaigns, and more. YouTube: As reported by Backlinko, YouTube has around 2 billion monthly active users, which makes up roughly 40% of all global internet users. With the consumption of video content on the rise, YouTube is a great platform to educate customers about your brand, promote products, and host interactive sessions. Blogs: Having blogs as an extension to your website allows you to create a connection with your audience through which you can exert greater influence on how they should perceive your business, as reported by Name.com. Use blogs as a medium to convey the unique aspects of your business to customers, which can include sustainable practices, the creation of cutting-edge technology, excellent customer service, etc. Blogging is a long-term activity, but you can start by publishing 2-4 posts per week.
As you see, creating a reputed brand includes various moving parts, which you, as the owner, need to be on top of. If you find yourself lacking the expertise to effectively manage these functions, consider obtaining an online business degree. With the vocation being online, you'll have ample time to focus on building your business while improving your knowledge regarding branding and marketing strategies.
When it comes to building a brand, there are no shortcuts. The key is to have a plan and be consistent in promoting your messaging through various channels until you become a recognized player in the market with which customers feel comfortable being associated.
