When people hear the word ‘’brand’’ the first thing that pops into their minds is a logo. This is not wrong, but it is only the surface level. The brand is not just about logo and visuals – it is more strategic than you can think. Brand is about your company reputation and your visibility on the market.
In order to establish the brand, finding the right logo is just a part of it. But the more interesting part is crafting that perfect strategy that will grab the attention of your target audience instantly. You need to build a stronger online presence and make your name pop.
Yet, building a strong brand that people instantly recognize takes a lot of time, effort, and resources. If you don’t know where to begin – follow this strategy guide!
Why does branding matter?
Creating a clear and cohesive brand image takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. If you think that your products and services are superior enough to speak for themselves – think again. Your brand will be your voice, but we want to show you the other benefits that come along with the strong brand:
- A strong brand creates loyal followers. When you think about comfort food – you often think of McDonalds or KFC and you know what you will pick on your way from work. When you think about electric cars – Tesla often pops into your mind. When you think about electronics – you have Apple. Just think – do your product or service have a potential for this? A strong brand will help you build a strong community and you will be sure that you will be a number one choice for them.
- You can charge more for your services – when you have a strong brand, it also drives a stronger value. People will be willing to pay more for your services when the brand is well-positioned on the market.
- You will show that you are different from your competitors – just imagine how many competitors are out there. Doing branding the right way will help your customers understand just how different your brand is compared with your competitors.
Brand strategy guide simplified
To build a comprehensive brand strategy you need to make sure that everyone is on the same page at the moment. Then you need to think about the following:
- Think about your brand purpose – what is your primary drive behind it?
- Think about how you will market your products and services – what will be your brand message and how will you communicate it among your clients. What would your brand voice look like?
- You need to keep your team up to date with all your ideas and brainstorm about them often. If you are trying to build your brand as a solopreneur, this step is also very important because you will cooperate with various freelancers and designers.
- Try to keep the consistency – every interaction with your brand will play an important role and help you create one and unique story around your brand.
Now when you have a direction, it is time to take the actionable steps.
Analyze your current Business and Brand Strategy
First, you need to do a reality check and a detailed audit to determine where you are standing today. Your brand was created simultaneously with your business. It is always great to go back to the start and analyze everything. What makes your brand genuine? Why are you here? Customers are often tired of generic and exaggerated statements describing their vision and mission. The secret is – be genuine and promise what you can actually deliver. It would be a dash of fresh air.
Who are your target clients?
Who are the people that will love your products and services? You might know who is your target demographic but behind all these stats and numbers – there is a real person. A person with interests, likes and dislikes. Creating a buying persona will help you connect with just the right people. Think about the important factors:
- How old is your ideal customer?
- What is their location?
- Their interests and professions.
- Which potential issues do your ideal customer encounter?
- What is the average income of your ideal customer?
- Their location.
It is crucial to keep doing research on your target group so you can learn more about their habits and behaviors. The better you understand their needs and their problems – you will know what is the best way to approach them.
It is also great to think about how your brand would look if it was a live person. It does not mean you need a mascot, but try bringing your brand to life and describing it. Would it be funny, flirty, supportive? The more detailed description – it would be better and your brand will feel more tangible.
Brand messaging and identity
Your brand needs to send the right message to the right audience loud and clear. Your brand name, your tagline, your voice and setting the right tone. Strong brand means that people will make people think about your service when they see your logo, or even something related to it. Think about what you want for your target audience to think about what your brand represents. And stick to that.
Build a great website
Your website is often the first contact your customers will have with your brand. It is like your business card but more interactive. Your website needs to look attractive, it needs to be fast and it needs to provide just the right information about your products and services. If done right, a great website can amplify your brand image. So use your website wisely – make sure that it looks great on every device and that it has a visual consistency that resonates with your brand (colors that match, right typography and content to match the entire story).
With responsive design and SEO strategy you will have an amazing opportunity to help people find your brand.
Content Marketing Strategy
What kind of content will resonate well with your target audience? What will they find relevant and useful? What kind of content will help them resolve some issues? Which social media channels will work great for promoting the content?
Content can help you strengthen your reputation and raise awareness about your brand.
Implement, Measure, Adjust
Once you know everything about your brand strategy – you need to implement it. Make sure to create your brand strategy and actually follow it. You will be amazed just how many businesses create the winning strategy and never implement it.
Remember to implement your strategy and to measure your results. Also, as you start getting more useful info regarding your customers, you will adjust your strategy accordingly.
In conclusion
If you have that amazing idea that has been lurking inside your head for a while now – perhaps it is time to convert these ideas to reality. This brand strategy guide can give you that initial push. The sooner you start building your brand reputation, the sooner your brand will become a household name. If you have ideas that you think are worth sharing – we would love to hear it. We can help you build your brand from scratch – or revamp your current brand. Contact us right away!
