The Key to Building a Strong Brand
Having a recognisable and well-loved brand is one of the most valuable aspects of any business, but how do you create it?
In this blog, we’re going to look at the simple steps for building a successful brand to build brand awareness and drive new business.
What is branding?
Before we get started on what you need to do to create a strong brand, we first need to establish what a brand actually is. A business’ brand isn’t necessarily about the physical products or services they’re selling, it’s about the feelings people develop when dealing with the business and using their products and/or services. These are what trigger a reaction when they see the business’ logo, marketing materials and hear their name – whether this reaction is positive or negative, is up to you. A brand is a business’ reputation, not something that can be built overnight, as the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, says, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
Have a clear identity
There are many aspects of a successful brand, and having a clear identity is one of them. It’s all well and good having a recognisable brand, but you also need to solidify your business’ defining features – what sets your business apart from your competitors?
Ensure you focus on your audience
Throughout creating your brand, you need to keep reminding yourself who brands are for. Yes, it’s great when the whole team agrees with your creative output but ultimately, this brand is for your target audience, not you. Ensure that your brand connects with the audience you’re trying to reach out to, as these are the ones who are going to be spending with you.
Consistency is key
A lot of businesses often overlook the importance of consistency, but the more consistent you are with your business’ message, the more consistent your branding is. This will build awareness and trust with your customers and potential customers. If you’re constantly changing your logo, design, offerings or perspective, people are going to get confused and this isn’t going to help your case with building that trust and loyalty with your audience.
Be honest
When you pick your business’ core messaging, ensure you stick to it. One of the easiest ways to lose customers is to lose their trust and this can be more damaging than a physical loss to the business.
Market your brand well
Reinforce your brand by dedicating resources to your marketing. This can be done through, website creation, SEO, social media, podcasts, videos… we could go on. As long as what you’re putting out there is consistent and appeals to your target audience, over time your brand will grow.