10 Branding Tips for Your Business
Sell Yourself, It’s Not Cocky, It’s Smart.
Whenever you think of a specific type of industry, a handful of specific brands most likely come to mind. For example, sportswear companies: Nike, Adidas, Lululemon…etc. The reason that these are top of mind if because of the branding strategy behind it. The product itself does not make the brand; it’s the lifestyle that the brand has crafted and disseminates to it’s customers. It’s the connection the consumer feels when looking at their products, advertisements or scrolling through their feed on Instagram. In other words, it’s the story behind the brand that captures the audience’s attention.
So how do you create a story and effectively create a brand? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
1. Authenticity: Customers are real humans with emotions and feelings. They want to be able to connect with your brand and have true life interaction. It is extremely important to make sure that your brand has personality and character your audience can relate to.
2. Boldness: BE BOLD! Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. When you have competition all around you, you can’t be afraid to bring something new. People notice different so make sure to stand out.
3. Consistency is Key: Make sure your brand image and message stays consistent. Although you can come up with new strategies and innovative ideas, consistency in your messaging is key and it is what will keep your brand around for a long time.
4. Appeal with Humor or Fun: With so many brands and businesses using social media, it is easy to add a little fun and humor into your brand messaging. People love a little humor in their life so why provide them with a little excitement. It doesn’t need to be a real joke or comedy act but sometimes a witty comment here or there goes a long way.
5. Do Not Oversell: No one likes a pushy salesman so don’t force your product too hard on people. Through your messaging, show them why your brand would be beneficial to them. If you can show them that you understand their needs without being pushy, they will gain your trust and respect.
6. Don’t Try to be Another Brand: This goes hand in hand with being authentic. It is great to be inspired by successful brands but don’t emulate them so much that you lose your own sense of self.
7. Focus on Your Niche: It is okay to have a niche…actually, it can be better at times. Every brand does not sell to the masses. Sometimes, the most successful brands find their niche and focus on appealing to them because they are the ones buying the product!
8. Don’t’ Be Afraid to be Edgy: Aesthetic is everything. People see literally hundreds of advertisements a day on social media, the internet, billboards, magazines, etc. Keep your brand fresh, relevant and up to date.
9. Care More About the World Than Yourself: Showing your audience that you are a brand that cares about the world and society is huge. Connecting with non-profits and important causes is not only admirable but it shows your audience that giving back is important to you.
10.
Hire Amazing Social Media Strategists: We all know social media is all the rage today. If you are a brand and you are not on social media, you are missing out on a huge audience. So many brands have become extremely successful due to social media so making sure that you have a great team to help with your social media strategy is key. These people need to be able to understand your target market and able to create strategic social media plans to target them.
