Establishing your brand isn’t about creating the best logo or coming up with the catchiest slogan, though they are important too. The brand of a business is essentially the image it has, for you, for your employees and business associates and for your customers.
If you think building a brand is only for the ‘big’ businesses, you are mistaken. It is equally, if not more, important that a small business carves an identity for itself in today’s competitive market.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to put in loads of money into it. Fancy things can get you customers initially. But if you fail to identify your goals, understand your customers, and deliver the right experience, it wouldn’t hold good for long.
Let’s try to find ways that can help you create a distinct image for your business.
Understand your brand
If you try to be a ‘Jack of all trades’, you would end up to be a ‘master of none’. Don’t do it. Instead, focus on something you are really good at. Make it the core of your business.
The visual image is just an element of your brand. Focus on what you do, how you do it, what message you convey, what experience you provide and so on. Every little thing that makes up the customer experience counts when it comes to brand essence.
Focus on quality
Your products and services are what make the customers come to you. You may put up a great store or design an attractive online shop and customers may visit it for the first time. And even buy from you.
However, they would come back, or recommend you to a friend, only if they are satisfied with the products or services you delivered. If the products aren’t great or the services aren’t superb, they wouldn’t even bother to visit you a second time.
Know what you do best
Every good brand makes a promise it keeps. For example, Subway stands out for its ‘Eat Fresh’ tagline. It conveys their promise- of delivering fresh food. You need to know what you excel at and transform it into your brand promise.
The only way to be in focus is to specialize in what you do. Whether you offer a specific type or product or service for customers, make sure you are the best in what you do and how you do it. This speeds up the brand establishment process.
Identify target customers
You cannot serve everyone. Every business has a target customer. For example, if you have a small business selling children’s books and toys, your target customers are families, especially parents.
After you have identified the target customers, include them in your online and offline network. Converse when they visit your store, share information and photos on Facebook, organize fun contests – create a dialogue between them and your business.
Be honest and reliable
You make a promise when you create your brand slogan. You increase your customers’ expectations. If you fail to deliver what you promise, you would lose the trust and credibility.
Make sure you keep your promises. Whether you have promised to deliver an order within a day or finish a job within a week, make sure you do it. Unfeasible promises may give you some business initially; but they won’t provide long-term sustenance.
Create a visual identity
Well, the name and logo of your business does matter when it comes to establishing your brand. Get them right; you may change it later, but that would be costly. Moreover, it would also affect the image of your business.
Before you decide on a name, make sure it reflects the nature of your business and resonates with your customers. If possible, appoint an expert to create your business logo and slogan to add the right touch of professionalism.
Ensure a great experience
What matters most for your business is how you treat your customers. And it isn’t about how ‘you’ treat customers. It’s about how everyone involved in your business treats customers at every level.
Do they have pleasant, helpful assistance at your shop? Or do they meet someone sullen? Do you have people to receive calls or is it automated? Make sure the experience is the same throughout your business.
Little things contribute to create the big experience; and it is these little things that matter when it comes to creating your brand. With adequate attention to these details, it is possible to create a distinctive image of your business for all.
About the Author: Evans is a content marketer and blogger. He is currently working for a leading UK based organization GasStorageDepot that offers free delivery of its products to UK Mainland.
