Having a great brand strategy is vital to any type of business expenditure but before learning about how to build a brand, it is fundamental to understand the “why”. A new business needs to build a brand in order to make a name for themselves and create a solid foundation. Existing businesses may have failed to create a stable image and need rebranding. Whatever reason it may be, branding is essential to creating an identity to be proud of that will effectively generate buzz.
There are three main steps to building a brand – define, communicate, and strengthen. Building a brand takes much energy and time but with enough direction and dedication, a brand and its following is sure to grow.
Define
What should other people take away from your brand? Create a mission statement that truly represents what you and your business stands for. Decipher what your targeted audience is looking for and how your business or product fits in with these needs. By clearly defining your goals, your brand will have a clearer direction for not just you, but your customers. The initial brand planning stage is meant to create a solid foundation. It’s ok to redefine your brand and target audience as you learn more about what works and what doesn’t but completely changing the foundation may result in a negative impact on your image. People should not be confused when they see your brand.
If the direction behind the brand is unclear, you will be unable to tap into your customer’s emotions and desires. Understand that you are not just selling a product or service, you are selling an idea. The idea can be what your company represents or how your customer should feel. After clearly defining what you want to portray, you need to determine how you want to send your message.
Communicate
How will you show others your brand? Evaluate your current brand presence and how to give it a boost. Is the best way for you to reach your audience through digital or print? Referrals or advertisements? Integrate a system that aligns with your business and marketing strategy. After you detail what channels you want to communicate your message on, it’s time to create quality content that your audience will want to come back to.
Strengthen
Continue spreading your brand and solidifying your place as a reputable destination. This means staying consistent with posting, motivating your fans to be your brand ambassadors, and going above and beyond to keep your brand relevant and engaging.
Thought needs to be put in every message you communicate to your audience. You need to consider if what you’re posting logically aligns with your brand and mission statement. If no, reconsider making that post to keep your brand clear and effective.
Building a brand is difficult but not impossible; it takes much time and the work will never seem to be completely done. Nowadays, it is more and more common for people to be their own brand. With the rise of bloggers, influencers, and more, branding and making yourself stand out from the pack is more difficult but more crucial than ever. Practice these steps and pave your own way to branding and marketing success.
