The Basic Guide for Branding a Business
Every day there are many new businesses being opened or planned, so to break into the world of marketing even with the best products or services you need an edge to stand out and give people a reason to notice you, that’s what brandings all about.
Each person is unique with their own personality and dose their business. Following the pattern of other business may not be utilizing your own strengths and opportunities. Your branding is your promise to your customers, encompassing what your customers feel about your company. Branding is as important as any other area of your business, it’s your shop front, the thing that entices people to enter an area where you can interact with them in a positive way that will eventually lead to sales and a loyal customer. Just selling a random product to the odd person, who passes by, is OK on a busy street corner or in a mall, but for a successful business you need customers to actively want to buy from you.
This means installing trust and giving real value for money with quality products or services that you personally guarantee and back with fantastic service and total support. A branding is not a tangible thing, but an emotional issue that people respond to and can associate with quality. It is your identity and the most powerful selling tool you can ever have, think what apple brand means or the horse head on the Holden car, the scallop shell of Shell Petroleum. They imply quality and people respond by buying their products.
Branding is a way of telling customers what to expect from the products you sell and endorse as well as the services you provide for them. It tells how you are different from your competitors and the special talent only you possess.
Defining your brand takes time and skill; all successful major companies employ a full time team to ensure they keep to the ideas and are consistent to their company’s goals and values. This is not possible with a small company or when just starting out, but it is so important that you need to spend the time doing it or use a good, reliable firm that specializes in doing this to help you as if will pay off many times so needs to be done properly.
Consider these points:
- What is your company’s mission or purpose?
- What are you offering or promising your customers?
- What is the impression you want to give your customers and how do they view you now?
- What makes you different from other people that are selling similar thing to you?
- What is your company’s personality?
- How will you describe your company?
- What are your competitors doing right?
- What are your competitors doing wrong and how can you capitalize on this?
- Your branding should extend to all areas of your business including how you answer the phone; greet customers and what you wear. As well as the attitude of your employees.
- You need to create a voice and personality for your business.
- It is vital that you are true to your brand (branding) and your customers, so both existing and potential customers can see the transparency of your integrity, be honest and mindful of what you say and the way you say it.
- Be sure you are sincere and thank people for allowing you the opportunity to do business with you.
- Remember no one likes a smart arse and others will notice and talk about all your negative aspects, so strive to always be positive.
