When running a company or business, there are many factors that we must focus on, and being able to stand out from the competition often seems like a difficult challenge. That’s why knowing how to do a good branding can be what really marks a before and after in your way of marketing.
Often, the very first thing and the most logical one when we invest in our company is to focus on advertising or attracting customers. However, this is a system that works very well when it has already some other work behind it. It has to be combined with other types of strategies, such as making people aware of your brand and your values before trying to sell them something.
Let’s face it: there are thousands of businesses that sell the same as you do. And sometimes their product/service might even be better. So how can you get them to choose you? Maybe it’s time to think about how to do a good branding.
It is no longer enough just to sell a product and say how wonderful or what its benefits and properties are. Sadly, consumers no longer trust expressions such as “the best shampoo on the market” or “we guarantee you instant results”. Now they are looking for experiences and emotions, something that goes beyond a mere product.
This is where branding comes into play. Branding seeks to mark the audience, leave in their head a sensation or an emotion that they can automatically relate to your brand. Branding, then, is managing a brand by focusing on its objectives, its vision of the world, the place it occupies in it, and the way it presents itself to others.
Branding focuses on the design, visual image, or verbal language of the brand as well as the experience it provides to users, but there is much more behind it. You will know how to do a good branding when your clients associate you directly with a colour, an idea, or a word.
So, if we say “Just do it” I am sure you do know who we are talking about, don’t you?
That is a successful branding strategy.
This is the power to run an efficient branding strategy which stimulates your target audience’s emotions, going beyond simply selling your product or service.
Why Should You Start Working On Your Branding Right Now?
Well, one of the main goals for businesses is to be recognised by the largest number of people through something unique and valuable.
Like the “Just do it” motto is for Nike.
I am sure you have the same goal for your business.
And guess what? It’s branding that will take you to reach that goal.
Normally this part of brand building is left for when the company is bigger but this lowers the possibilities to scale your business faster.
You may have already realised that it is highly recommended that you set aside a part of your investment and time to work on the branding of your business.
If you get the magic recipe for how to do a good branding, then you will get, not only a greater customer acquisition, but also greater loyalty. Your audience will trust your brand, and their reputation will grow. In addition, you will be able to position yourself against your competition and earn a place within your sector.
It sounds good, doesn’t it?
Great, so, now that the concept of branding and all its benefits are clear, it’s time to give you the keys to giving your brand the strength you are looking for. Do not stop reading.
1. Strong brand identity
If you were asked to describe your brand, would you know how to do it?
Not what its functions are or what it sells, but in terms of values.
What moves it? What is your mission?
Think about how you want your business to contribute to the world, what your position in the market is, and the long and short-term goals you want to achieve.
For example, imagine you have a home-cooked restaurant. Your brand is young, daring, and energetic and wants to prove that it is possible to eat healthy with quality products that are tasty and eye-catching. Your mission is to promote a healthy lifestyle and traditional cuisine.
This represents your brand identity and values. It is the base from where all the rest of the movements you take within your business branding begin. It basically is what will also help you to sell faster.
This will help you identify your specific target audience and conquer their heart.
2. Define a buyer persona: listen to your audience
This is a crucial step in any digital marketing and business strategy. Your ideal client has to be at the core of any step you want your business to take.
Don’t just think about what you want to offer.
Think about who you want to offer it to and what they are looking for.
Who are the people that most likely will feel engaged with your business? Who are the people that will solve their issues by purchasing what you offer?
Basically, create a profile of the type of person you know would be interested in what you are selling.
Age, sex, education, work, salary, lifestyle.
And even deeper, desires, hopes, problems, issues, behaviour, feelings, driving emotions.
The more you get to know your target audience, the more efficient your branding strategy, as well as any other digital marketing strategy, becomes.
For this, also listen to the clients you already have. For example, more and more brands send surveys and opinion forms to find out how satisfied their customers are and what aspects stand out from all the others. They are one of the most effective sources to get new ideas, adapt your business and know how successful your strategy is being.
If you want to learn more about how to create a detailed and precise buyer persona, click here and see audience analysis guide.
3. The visual image of your brand: work on logo and more
The main element within the image of a brand is its logo. This should be easy to remember and simple, the more the better as it will stay more easily in the mind of your audience.
Think about the strength of the visual image of some brands: the colour blue and the F of Facebook; the yellow M for McDonald’s; or on the Nike tick. All of them are simple but very strong and you will be able to recognize them instantly.
What colours define your brand?
Think that your logo colours should also convey the emotions and values that you want your company to show and that will most likely engage your target audience. You must also include the typeface that you will use or the images and illustrations that will go with it.
How much should you invest in Digital Marketing?
4. Brand language and tone of voice
You already know how your brand is visually, but what about the way it speaks and expresses itself?
One way to get closer to your audience and show brand consistency is to adopt a consistent tone of voice that is present in all communications you make with your audience.
These are emails, advertising, free samples, packaging, customer service … everything that involves language must use the same tone of voice.
For this, it is recommended to have a style guide that includes both the way in which your company should communicate (which words are most representative of the brand, expressions, how to address the customer) and that also includes the logo, the colours, and the visual identity.
Language and tone of voice also should convey the emotions and values that you want your company to show and that will most likely engage your target audience.
5. Apply the visual image and corporate language in all areas
Doing good branding includes knowing how you put the strategy into action.
Make your brand show up everywhere your target audience hangs out, and extend your visual and verbal language to all aspects of your business.
In internal communication, in the contact cards, in the website, in the way of talking through your campaigns … all the actions of the company must show the personality of your brand, no matter how insubstantial they may seem.
This will have the power to make a stronger impression on everyone who interacts with your business mind, leading them to associate that specific visual and verbal language with your business.
This is how you will make your brand highly recognisable.
6. Don’t stop optimising your strategy
Even if it seems that you have everything done, it will not be worth just that.
The market and its needs are constantly changing, so should your brand. Good branding doesn’t stick to the initial strategy but adapts to the continuous changes.
Being always competitive and in people’s head comes from continuous strategy optimisation.
Check what in your strategy is bringing the best results and empower it. Check what instead is not working very well and change it.
It might also be necessary to reinvent your image, work on your goals, and find new ways to impact your audience.
The one who stops gets lost – they say.
7. Show unity and brand consistency
The real key to doing good branding is unity and coherence within your brand image.
This means that their personality is so strong that it is present in all aspects of the company and that they also make sense.
If your colours are red and white, they must be present in all social networks, your website, establishments, merchandising, etc. If you have a way of expressing yourself on Instagram, let it be the same as the other social networks.
This again has the power to strengthen in your audience’s heads your brand identity and values, making your business highly recognisable.
How can you run an efficient branding strategy for your business?
Serendipity Marketing, as a leading full-service digital marketing agency London, is an expert in creating and running efficient branding strategies that will make your business stay in your target audience’s heads.
This digital marketing agency London has a unique approach which mixes marketing strategies with psychology science to uncover deep driving emotions, allowing to create a branding strategy able to convey the emotions and values that you want your business to show and that will most likely engage your target audience.
This is what makes Serendipity Marketing a leading internet marketing agency London trusted by clients internationally, which services are requested in three different languages: English, Spanish, and Italian.
