Effective branding is important to the continued growth and success of your company.
A brand is the reputation and visibility of a company in the minds of its audience. When successful, a brand strategy can help turn your small business into a thriving enterprise brand. In this article, we’ll show you how you can design a powerful brand strategy that will pave the path for long-term success for your company.
1. Find Your Purpose
In developing your brand strategy, the whole point is to reach a goal (or goals). So, you should consider your short and long-term goals – where you want your business to be next month, next year, and a few years from now.
You may have a very clear idea of why you started your business – because you wanted the freedom to make your own decisions and the flexibility to spend more time with your family, for example – but you’ll need to think about the bigger picture in terms of the result you’re trying to help your clients get or the impact you want to have in the world.
Though you may have some fantastic product or service, communicating a bigger vision for what you’re trying to achieve will attract people who believe in that same vision and ultimately will be more likely to buy from you.
Make sure you can genuinely deliver on what you promise as customers are also getting warier of the brand’s exaggerated statements of purpose and there’s more and more distrust.
2. Spotlight What Makes you Different
You should always stand out as different even if what you offer isn’t truly unique or one-of-a-kind. Your brand messaging is one key. Some brands may sell similar products, but their brand strategies can convey different messages to very distinct audiences.
You can differentiate your business with mission and vision statements that are personal to you. The core values that are at the heart of what you do will also help you stand out. You should think of what you can offer customers that they can’t get from your competitors.
Let’s say you own a pizzeria. Yes, there are lots of other pizzerias out there. However, yours is unique in that you serve authentic Italian brick-oven pizza in a setting that takes your customers straight into the heart of Sicily. Your purpose isn’t just to make tasty pizzas; it’s to deliver an authentic Italian experience that locals can’t find elsewhere in the area.
3. Build Your Brand Identity
Visual branding is an important factor as it includes your brand name, logo and also any tagline, color palettes, typography, shapes, jingles, and so on. For example, choosing brand colors is not solely a matter of personal preference. Color psychology should be a guiding factor as different colors elicit different emotions and responses, which you can use to influence the way people view and interact with your brand.
Your objective here is for your customers to be able to recognize your brand in all your communication – even if you cover up the brand name! Make sure you really have a unique logo and the right packaging for your brand and customer.
