A company’s brand is the way that others recognize and perceive it. A strong brand image tells customers more than your company name. It also conveys details about your company’s culture and values. In short, a strong brand:
- Creates recognition among the general population
- Lends credibility to your business
- Adds value to your products and services
- Presents a cohesive appearance to the public
For many people, it is the only interaction they will ever have with your business. You can think of it as a first impression. Therefore, you want to make it a good one. These tips can help you do that.
- Identify Your Brand Purpose
Every brand has a purpose. There’s a good chance it aligns with your company goals and mission; however, you will need to establish whether or not that is the case. Once you have this information, you can then identify a brand logo that aligns with the purpose.
- Create a Connection Between Your Logo and Brand
Your logo is a symbol that represents your company. You are making it more powerful by linking it to the brand you want to build. Use it on all correspondence, marketing materials, and digital platforms to create continuity. You can also learn how to put your company logo on Wikipedia to get it in front of even more people.
- Get To Know Your Competitors and Their Brands
Before you can position yourself, you need to know exactly where you stand in the big picture. You can get an idea of this by studying your competitors. Get to know what images they project and how the public receives those. Do not copy their approach, but take notes and use the information to inform your company brand.
- Identify Your Target Markets
You also need to learn about your target markets. Ideally, you will understand your primary and secondary markets well. This should have been part of your initial business research, so go ahead and break out your business plan for a refresher. Learn what drives spending among these groups, what topics matter most to them, and what types of messages are most likely to succeed.
- Create a Cohesive Message
Uniformity is a strong brand builder. Once you have a logo and color scheme, apply it across channels to generate a cohesive look. This can help you look put together to potential customers, even if you feel like things are slightly less so in reality. This is one area where appearances really matter.
- Establish Your Company as an Authority
Content marketing is a great way to lend credibility and establish your business as a leader in the field. Start a blog that provides valuable information to consumers. Some may become customers, while others will just turn to you for trusted information. Either way, you have established your brand as an authority on the subject.
- Live Your Brand
As a small business owner, you may often feel that there is little separation between your personal and work lives. This is an often unfortunate aspect of running a company. However, you can use it to your advantage when building a solid brand image.
Learn to live your brand in everyday life. That could mean all sorts of things, from wearing branded clothes to carrying business cards to sharing what you do with people you meet. Become the visible face of your company.
- Work To Maintain Your Brand’s Reputation
Unfortunately, things can happen that undermine a brand and company’s reputation. It could be a series of negative reviews, a poor showing at a special event, or a thoughtless action by you or an employee. It doesn’t matter what causes the negative impression; what matters is that you address the situation and work to turn it around. Remember that admitting mistakes and learning from them is often preferable to denying involvement.
Building a strong brand image can help your business in many ways. Start with a logo that defines your purpose and then build from there with small steps.
