Your business branding is the most important part of who you are. It is like the fingerprint which identifies you as a unique, and it allows you to stand out from the crowded market to make a lasting impression on your audience.
Branding is a key part of every business, but many do take this for granted. If you want to make your business stand out and get more customers flowing to your door, you must be able to make an impact on these people from the outset. Simply having a cool name and snazzy logo isn’t enough here, it is the way you present yourself as a company and the message you put across.
Take millennials for example. This generation is great at creating innovative ideas and creating new ways to sell products. Offices no longer have rows of cubicles and a sad coffee machine in the corner, they have marble tables, table tennis and even yoga classes at lunch. It is the environment you create for your workers and the general population which will set you apart and make people want to buy from you. Take some of these tips on board and you’ll be an expert at branding in no time at all.
- Be Unique
If you want to create a brand which everyone will remember,you need to be able to stand out against a ton of other companies who offer the same thing as you. You must be able to find a point of difference where you are superior to all other competitions, and prove that you alone can provide the best possible service or product to your consumer. You can even work from a charity angle and make sure that all of your products come from sustainable means, plus a percentage of your profits always go to charity. This is a great way to show people that you are different and it makes them feel special knowing that by buying from you, they are making a difference in the world.
- Know your audience
The single most important thing you must do is take time to know who you are selling to. Your audience is the most important part of your business, because they are the people who are keeping you afloat in the first place. Take time to learn more about who your audience are, what demographics they exist within and what motivated them as people. This will allow you to tailor your brand and marketing strategy to fit the people you want to sell to.
- Tone of voice
Tone of voice is the persona you put out to the public every time you send a tweet, write a blog post or sell your product in person. Your tone of voice dictates how you are perceived in the world and it can be huge factor in your company reputation. For example, if you are a company who focuses of B2B, your tone of voice will be professional, reserved and neutral. However if you are a new fashion brand, you can comment on celebrities, share funny content and show your personality because that is what your target audience will want. To find your tone of voice it might be helpful to research similar brands and see what tone of voice they give, and what reaction it receives from the public.
- Cut the jargon
Unless you are a company focused on selling pharmaceuticals or you are selling to academics, you need to cut the jargon and speak simply. Be concise on your marketing material and make things easy to read and connect with. Add in a pun or two now and again to grab your audience’s attention. This will allow you to form a much easier connection with your audience because everyone can relate to humour. Keep your content simple and easily accessible for all walks of life.
- Find your niche
One of the best ways you can make sure that to stand out as a brand is to specialise into one or two areas where you are the leading supplier. Find what you are good at and run with it. It might seem as if this will limit your audience and your growth but it will actually bring more of the right people to your door and you will grow and loyal following who are truly invested in your products or your service.
6. Consistency
Always keep in mind to stay consistent with your tone of voice and your brand. Make sure that your marketing team sets out a clear set of rules for branding items and marketing material to keep it consistent across every item. For example, many brands will set a guideline where their logo appears in the bottom right hand corner of every video and piece of copy, or it could be that the colour scheme must stay similar to the logo and branding. This will make sure that your audience can always recognise you and find you.
- Look to the future
In business it is always important to keep your eyes to the future. With your brand you will want to think about who you want to be as a business within the next 2-5-10 years… will you be the same or will your evolve along with the times? You need to be prepared that your colour scheme may one day change or your brand name may no longer be relevant. If you ever do have to change your brand name you must provide ample warning to the consumer so that they aren’t to shocked when you do.
- Keep it simple
Remember that you don’t need to have 10 colours in your logo to create interest and you do not need a huge slogan. Keep things simple, clean and your audience will know what you are trying to say. As long as you stay true to your company and your brand, your loyal audience will always be able to follow you and support you.
