Branding is one of the most important aspects of business. It’s how your customers, both new and old, see and perceive your business, and you need to make sure it’s appealing, attractive, and showcases you and your company to the world in the good light.
However, this is much easier said than done, and it takes time and consistency to solidify your brand so you not only stand out but invoke trust and can easily nurture relationships with your customers. In today’s guide, I’m going to talk you through four principles you can follow to make this easier.
1. Maximize Visibility
Your customers and target markets will only ever see what you put in front of them, and even though you work hard behind the scenes to make your business a success, nobody is going to know what you’re up too unless you showcase it.
Let’s say, for example; you’re a family-owned business. If this is the case, this is a great foundation for your personal brand, but if your customers aren’t aware of this, it’s not going to work. Be visible and bold with your branding, be confident, and allowing your business’s details to showcase who you are and what you stand for.
Of course, your values and intentions may change over time as your business evolves, and that’s okay. Just implement the changes slowly and showcase them as your business growing and becoming a better business.
2. Be Original
While it’s completely okay, and highly encouraged, to look into other companies to see what they are doing and to try and gain some kind of inspiration from them, it’s important to remember that you should never copy nor emulate other brands. You’ll want to try and be as original as you possibly can.
Of course, in the condition of the world we live in, this isn’t entirely possible since many believe there are no original ideas, just ideas rearranged in a different way, but this means that instead, you need to make sure you stand out from the crowd and distinguish yourself from other brands in your niche.
“You need to stand out, and your branding needs to be remembered by your customers. They need to see a certain aspect of your brand, such as your logo and know exactly who you are and what you stand for. You don’t want them to get confused with other brands or forgot you. Think of any big brand you know, from Apple to McDonald’s to Nike. Instantly recognizable and you know who they are and what they do” shares Michelle Samson, a marketer at 1day2write and Nextcoursework.
3. Have a Personality
It’s important to make sure you’re being aware of the fact people nowadays do not like interacting with faceless, grey corporations, but rather companies that take a more human approach, and businesses they can actually have an emotional connection with.
For example, take a look at any Twitter account from a big, well-known brand, and you’ll instantly notice that they act like real human beings. They share content like human statements, memes, and some will interact with each other in a light-hearted way.
This is so vital to think about when it comes to your business but does, of course, depend on what type of business you are and who your customer base and target market are. If you’re a professional company, you may want to take a more sincere and professional approach, but if you’re opting for a more casual style, this needs to be reflected in your branding.
Some of the key things to think about here is the type of posts you’re uploading, the images and videos you’re using and the style in which they are edited. You’ll always need to think about what language you’re using, the age range of your audience, and how you present yourself both on your website (solid copy and blog posts) and your social media pages.
4. Be Genuine, Real, and Have Meaning
The final point you absolutely must consider is that your branding needs to be real and genuine. If you’re not authentic and you try to be a business or showcase your brand as something you’re not, this isn’t going to last, and you won’t be able to continue into the future sustainably or consistently.
“Take Apple as an example. Apple is famous and known throughout the world for its sleek and stylish products that are simple to use, incredibly powerful, vibrant, and recognizable in an instant. Think about to the original iPod adverts and how similar they are to more modern-day advertisements the company brings out” explains Jason Harper, a business writer at Write My X and Australia2write.
This is because Apple holds the core values of their business and know what they want to achieve and what their mission statement is, and then stick to it. The branding of Apple represents who they are and what they want to do within the world.
On the other hand, if Apple was, in reality, a cheap company that tried to make money fast using basic products that didn’t come with a lot of features and wasn’t attempting to innovate within the industry, this kind of branding the company has simply wouldn’t fit.
This is the point you need to remember; your branding needs to have meaning. As a business, you need to define what it is you stand for, what you’re trying to achieve and what impact you want to have on the world, and then mould your branding around these values.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a few important things you’ll need to keep considering when it comes to your personal branding and a few key principles you’ll need to bear in mind. By following through these and being mindful of them in the long term, you’ll be able to actively solidify your brand and remain consistent in the eyes of your customers.
Beatrice is a professional copywriter at Coursework Help and Academicbrits specializing in all kinds of topics. She is always open to share her personal experience at PhDkingdom and give advice to businesses to help with things like PR and how their customers see them.
