How do businesses stand out in today’s crowded marketplace? It all comes down to having a strong brand. If you want to differentiate yourself from your competitors, a winning brand strategy makes all the difference. However, a strong brand is only half the equation. You also need to promote it.
Here’s a closer look at why branding matters so much, along with the equally important role of promoting your brand when it comes to helping your business achieve its goals.
The Benefits of a Strong Brand
The Dictionary of Brand defines brand as “a person’s perception of a product, service, experience, or organization.” Your brand isn’t your company. Nor is it your products and services. It’s also not your logo. Rather, it is how people feel about all of these things put together. And it matters. A lot.
Consider a handful of well-known brands like Google, Apple, Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, IKEA, and Disney. Mere mention of these companies immediately brings to mind distinct meaning, feelings, and emotions.
Some go so far as to describe your brand as your “promise” to your customers. A strong brand strategy defines what you see as the ideal user experience, and how you’ll deliver on it.
All of which begs the question: What factors must be accounted for in an effective brand strategy? These include understanding your customers, determining what you’ll do and for whom (your brand promise), your brand values, your brand voice, and your brand positioning.
With all of these elements in place, your brand strategy will lead to powerful payoffs for your business, including the following:
Customers will recognize you.
Given the choice between something familiar and something unfamiliar, people usually lean toward the former. Even if your customers don’t know a whole lot about you, you’re ahead of the game if they can recognize your brand.
You’ll differentiate your business from the crowd.
Today’s consumers have many businesses from which to choose. Building a compelling brand gives you an instant competitive edge in the market.
It’s easier to introduce new products and services.
Customer trust isn’t easy to learn, but it’s well worth the effort — especially when it comes to debuting new products and services. People are more likely to take a chance on you if they already know and trust you.
“Around 90% of all information transmitted to your brain is visual. We (humans) understand, interpret, and remember video much better than reading – and if you’re looking to build brand trust fast you should keep this in mind. Use video as much as possible throughout your content & sales process to create trust faster than your competitors and your lead volume will skyrocket” – Devin Schumacher, SERP
You’ll gain credibility — and customer loyalty.
In gaining the trust of your customers, you also gain something else: credibility. The more credible you are to your customers, the more likely you are to earn their loyalty. Branding doesn’t just entice customers to buy a particular product or service; it creates an emotional connection that can translate to priceless loyalty.
How to Promote Your Brand
An old philosophical question asks, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound?” While there may be no clear-cut answer to this question, there is one as it relates to your brand strategy. Because if you aren’t getting the word out and promoting your brand, you won’t reach customers and you will fall short of your goals.
This is why promoting your brand is essential to any marketing strategy. There are some relatively simple yet significant ways to promote your brand, including the following:
Be consistent and authentic
Consistency and authenticity are critical to building and promoting your brand. In order to build real connections, the messages you deliver to your customers must be consistent and authentic. From your website to your social media, every potential touchpoint is also an opportunity to build and reinforce your brand. However, a lack of consistency and authenticity can have the opposite effect.
Update and optimize your website
Speaking of your website, it is the first touchpoint many customers have with your business. In this sense, it is the face of your brand. If your website is not user-friendly, your first impression will be a poor one. Speed, mobile optimization, and easy access to sought-after information are must-have elements in a successful website.
Harness the power of social media
Social media is an excellent way to connect with customers — but only if you leverage its full potential. Think posting every now and again is enough? Think again. Designing and implementing a comprehensive and cohesive social media strategy is key to enhancing brand visibility, building brand loyalty, and boosting your sales. To manage your online interactions more effectively, it won’t hurt to use social media customer service software that will help you address your clients’ concerns.
Put quality over quantity
An old saying goes that “content is king.” However, not all content is worthy of that title. As the internet becomes saturated with a glut of content, quality is paramount. Quality starts with one basic question: Does it add value? If the answer to this question is “yes,” then the content can do everything from establish brand credibility to maximize SEO. Some types of quality content include blogs, video marketing, and press releases — all of which can serve important functions if well-executed.
One last thing to keep in mind? While we often think of branding in terms of B2C, it is equally — if not more — important in B2B, which is also about relationship-building. For example, if you’re preparing to make a proposal, creating one that is consistent with your brand serves the dual purpose of building your brand and promoting it. If your proposal misses the mark because it’s not “on-brand,” you not only risk losing a sale, but your credibility will also take a hit — which can be a major setback.
The good news? While your business may not have branding expertise, you don’t have to do it alone thanks to Visme. An all-in-one tool for designing, storing, and sharing your content, Visme can help you master the art of visual communication — and put the full power of branding to work for your business.
