Here’s Our Strategic Guide To Developing Your Brand
by Colleen Mustard on March 17TH, 2021
Brand development needn’t be an expensive, difficult or confusing process to go through. It is without-a-doubt, one of the key aspects of any business as it offers unique value to your targeted audience. It’s no secret that 2020 was a year that brought many negative changes for companies, brands and businesses not only in South Africa, but worldwide. Many companies suddenly became extremely aware that online marketing for their business was a crucial way to provide much needed growth. To create a sustainable online business, it is imperative to have solid brand development strategies in place. In today’s blog, we will share our strategic guide on how you can best develop your brand.
What Does Your Brand Represent?
Firstly, you need to have a clear understanding and definition of what your brand stands for. Make it easy for people to identify what your brand aims to represent. It’s imperative that you align your business goals with brand strategy in order to maximise long-term success. Start by asking yourself these questions:
- What motivated you to start your business in the first place?
- What core values does your company have to offer?
- What products or services would you say are most crucial for your target audience?
- Why should your audience trust your brand?
- Is there sufficient demand for you’re the products or services you have to offer?
Research Your Competitors
An effective branding strategy should always incorporate competitor research. Your first step here should be to identify your competition. Find out why consumers choose to buy from, or use the services of your competitors and not you. Find out how they are marketing their services or products and use this info to strengthen your own marketing campaigns. Get to work analysing their online presence and identify areas in your brand that need improvement. Gather information from their social media pages and see just how they interact with their customers. You could even consider shopping from them to gain the full customer experience.
Research Your Target Your Audience
Do extensive research on who your ideal customer is and then proceed to establish a clear image of them. Define your niche. Ask yourself why should these audience members purchase from your company or use your services? Find out where are they most likely to engage with your brand? You could also create buyer personas. These are fictional characters that represent your ideal consumers. These personas assess different facets of your audience and help you reach the right people at the right time
Give Your Brand A Voice
Establish a clear brand voice that represents your organisations personality. A unique and authentic brand voice makes it easier for consumers to distinguish between you and similar companies. Find out what unique personality traits you bring to the table. Come up with brand phrases or tag lines that will identify the mission and intent of your organisation. Some of the most respected organisations out there today have a clear sense of purpose combined with a strong personality. Avoid changing your message or personality too frequently as this tends to make it harder for audiences to know exactly what you are all about.
In Conclusion
We are living in a highly competitive digital landscape and in order to compete, you need to take the time and set aside a budget to develop a unique brand strategy. Strong brands can reap benefits that include credibility, a strong reputation, and awareness. A successful branding campaign requires careful planning and a shrewd but smart strategy. It’s not just all about your logo. It’s about the message you’re broadcasting to a worldwide audience. Keep in mind that developing a strong brand identity does not just happen overnight so never lose sight of your primary focus. Choose a marketing company that has a team of deep thinkers, an intimate understanding of your brand along with strong designing and communication skills. You need your brand to be able to stand the test of time. When it comes to ensuring the success of your business, great branding is arguably one of the most important things.
Until next time…..here is your quote of the day
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.”
Jeff
Bezos
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