4 Actionable Branding Tips for Today’s Business Owners
Great brands become household names, but they don’t happen overnight. But you have to start somewhere. In today’s post I am going to give you 4 awesome and actionable branding tips to help you start developing your brand. Because, the primary way to stand out from all the noise online is to be you!
And, what if I told you that there are almost 28 million small businesses in the U.S. On top of that, there are over 22 million individuals that are self-employed. Getting a little noisier, right? Additionally, approximately 543,000 new businesses are started each month. (Yahoo stats 2019)
Developing and maintaining your identity should be your first priority. If you are the owner of your company – that should follow secondary in the brand world. Is network marketing your business? Then frankly in my opinion, you don’t need to be branding them at all.
So wherever you fall in the business owner world — you’re going to love what you take away from this post.
4 Amazing and Actionable Branding Tips
I love when Inc.com made the comparison of building a business to that of caring for a newborn baby. Just as parents are responsible for guiding their child to become the best adult he or she can be, it’s your job to help your business grow.
But I think you will agree that it’s easy to let that slide when you’re juggling all the emergencies that crop up in the first few years of your infant/business life. So let’s dive into 4 things you can do from the infancy stage of creating your own, brand.
Find or Identify your Niche and Dominate
Fitting in isn’t acceptable when it comes to your brand. Its success is often related to the unique aspect which sets you apart from the rest. Defining your personal brand will help you stand out from the crowd – and that, is how you attract more eyeballs.
If you can’t find a category to stand out in, think outside the box. Truly take the time to identify your ideal customer and/or client and create visuals, messaging and content to support that. Of course you want your own voice to come through but when it comes to deliverables you want to ensure your ideal audiences’ needs are being met.
Take time to uncover your niche right down to a micro level. For example; health and wellness is quite macro. Whereas, helping men grow back their hair after hair loss (for whatever reason) is quite micro. Get micro where you can!
Pro Actionable Branding Tip: Narrow down your niche!
Play 21 Questions with Yourself (or someone you trust)
When you are seeking inspiration, it’s important to identify your motives. Picking a logo because ‘it looks pretty cool’ isn’t good enough. You should choose visual branding and its messaging, that reflects your business character, not just the things you think look good.
Pro Actionable Branding Tip: Ask and answer questions about your business culture, products, services and goals.
This process will help you gain insight into your current identity–or lack thereof–and choose how it will connect with your personality, prospects and customers. Additionally, if possible, connect with a branding strategist or other expert in this space. You never know what you (or they) may uncover along the way.
As much as we know your brand may evolve over the years, doing it ‘right‘ the first time will save you a ton of headaches along your journey.
Create Custom Content for your Brand
Another critical and actionable branding tip is to create custom content for your audience. Whether these be;
- social posts
- email newsletters
- updates
- blogs/articles
… publish content that’s specifically designed for your audience.
You need to if you want customers to trust you and, your brand.
78% of consumers believe that brands who focus on creating custom content are more trustworthy than those who publish generic content. (crowd spring stat 2019)
Pro Actionable Branding Tip: Get specific!
Consistency is Key (yes! Even when it comes to your brand!)
If you’re looking for long-term success, consistency is always the secret sauce. Developing and maintaining a level of trust with those who matter most to your business can be reached through delivering yourself and your value, consistently. Whether it’s online or face-to-face, consistency will allow you to gain trusted relationships with your brand.
Pro Actionable Branding Tip: Create a solid DMO and stick to it – no matter what!
Where are you and your business when it comes to creating your brand? Let us know in the comments and if we can help guide you in any way, don’t hesitate to reach out!
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