8 Tips for Building a Strong Brand, Not Just Another Website

Having an appealing and efficient brand can make or break a company. Branding serves to represent what a company stands for and can drive up customer interest. Building a company’s reputation starts with establishing a brand that portrays its identity. We’ve listed eight steps you can take to structure a brand that will stand out amongst competitors’ marketing.

1. Have your brand reflect who you are

The first step in building a strong brand is to make sure it represents who you are as a company. Design questionnaires that ask customers and employees what they believe you stand for. Consider how you want to be received by your audience. After pinpointing the perception, you hope to broadcast, work on creating thoughts, feelings, images, and experiences that center around your brand message. Strive to focus on your unique qualities which will serve as the basis for your brand definition. Once you have identified the brand image you hope to project, design all your marketing elements to reflect your message. Take into account how your writing style, color scheme, and logo design play a role in communicating your message.

2. Know your audience

Gathering and analyzing data about the market where your product or service will be offered is essential in building a strong brand. Knowing the spending habits, location and needs of your consumer will help you develop an appealing brand. Sites such as Google Analytics can tell you a lot about those who show interest in your sites. The tool reveals viewers demographic information and identifies what parts of your site are clicked on the most. It’s also advisable to take a look at comment threads on your site or others that are relevant to your topic. Pay attention to customers who may be talking about a particular solution to their needs. You can also administer surveys to gauge your audience’s interest. This can give you ideas about what your company should address. Building your brand around your audience’s needs will help you gain a loyal following.

3. Be consistent across all platforms

One way to ensure your brand is not forgotten in the minds of consumers is to stay consistent across all marketing platforms. Do not leave room for a variety of interpretations. Consider your brand when choosing a domain name by making sure it is memorable and fits the brand. Develop brand guidelines which specify which fonts are appropriate and how to correctly use logos, icons, and taglines in print and online. Make sure all employees have a guidebook to eliminate any confusion on how the brand should be presented. When posting on sites other than your main page, use a consistent tone and style so the consumer can easily comprehend what your brand entails.

4. Know your competition

Monitoring business rivals and researching their brand is important as you seek to make your own mark in your industry. Conducting a competitive analysis makes you more informed on your market and opens your eyes to what others are doing and why. Learn your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. If you see they lack in particular area, you can make sure to address the need to set yourself apart. Understand how competitors utilize their marketing message. In what way can you differentiate yourself to steer customers your way? Once you are well-informed on your competitor’s marketing tactics, you can build a strong brand that edges out the competition by making yourself unique.

5. Seek to Build Long-term Relationships with your Customers

To make your company a success, it is important to communicate your brand to build lasting relationships. Reach out to your customers frequently. Send them informative newsletters if they are on your email list and make sure you post to your social media sites regularly. Engage with your customers by replying to their posts. Your goal is to be accessible to keep prospects interested in what you have to offer for a long period of time. Offer customer rewards which will help remind them of your brand. Make yourself a household name in the community by hosting events. Making your brand more visible in the community will help you acquire more loyal customers.

6. Issue Content that is Helpful to your Audience

Make your brand recognizable in online communities by providing helpful commentary. Quickly respond to customer service questions to show you are committed to the success of your company. Utilize sites such as Twitter as a means to reach out to those in need of advice. Not only is this beneficial to your customer, but it also gives you a chance to market your brand as one that is accommodating when it comes to customers’ needs.

7. Identify how you are perceived in the marketplace

One way to ensure your brand message is being received is by determining brand perceptions. First, you will want to find out how those in your organization view your brand. How do they believe your brand stands out from the competition? After identifying how they distinguish you from competitors, turn to your customers’ views. Issue surveys to see if consumers’ perception of your brand is consistent with what those in your organization believe it offers. If there is a consensus in how your message is absorbed, then you can conclude that you have been successful in communicating your brand image. However, if the consumer is receiving a portrayal of your organization that is not in line with what you hope to communicate, you will know you need to restructure parts of your branding. By analyzing consumer and employee perception, you will be able to strengthen your brand by altering it to ensure your intended message is commonly understood.

8. Routinely Analyze and Refine Your Brand

To ensure you remain competitive in your market, you should periodically review your brand to determine its effectiveness. While consistency is important, it is okay to change your brand to ensure it is bringing the customer the intended experience. Your target audience’s preferences can change over time and have your brand reflect what most appeals to them are essential to its success.