Let us describe branding, its benefits and how properly branding
your business can increase your chances of success. In the age of
the Internet anyone can set up shop using a cookie cutter website
for a few hundred dollars, sometime less. Creating your own brand
will set you apart.
Essentially branding involves the image of your business.
Branding actually goes beyond image to include style, logos,
emblems and the perception of quality you intent to convey to
your customers. The image should suggests positive values such
as quality products and excellent services as well as reliability
and soundness. Branding helps to describe your business and how
you differ from your competition. In fact, distinguishing your
business from the competition is the primary goal of branding.
Once you have distinguished yourself from the pact promoting
and advertising your business can have a better impact by being
more effective and targeted.
The success of your business can often be based on your ability to
create your brand. Proper branding can greatly increase your
level of success. Factors including your website, your marketing
efforts and other aspects of your business create your company's
identity. Most consumers rely on a corporation's image when
deciding where to spend their money. Purchases often are
motivated based on psychology. Irregardless of size or structure,
all businesses can usually benefit from the use of well conceived
brand.
The very success of smaller businesses, whether brick and mortar
or online, may depend upon using good branding methods. The
brand could be the deal maker.
Proper branding suggests experience and professionalism. This
can also level the playing field between competing businesses
despite size or tenure, particularly when conducting business
online.
Building a brand enhances the confidence of the online business
owner. Branding affects customer trust and loyalty as well.
Branding can give a solid, consistent image to your business. It
gives your business credibility and can sets proper expectations
with your customers. Branding can be incorporated into
promotional campaigns using business cards, flyers and
newsletters.
Branding can also be used on premiums items like t-shirts, ink
pens, coffee mugs and other goods. These items increase your
brand's visibility and remind customers of your brand even
when not actually conducting business with you. This give your
business "brand equity" with your customers.
Likewise, a brand is considered to be an asset. Successful
franchises and existing business are usually sold for a higher
price than generic businesses offering the same products and
services. Customers usually think as much about who they are
buying from as what they are buying. Combine branding with
consistance, good quality products and top notch service and
customers will keep coming back for more.
Branding is trully your customers' perception of your business
and can be like a pledge or promise you make to your customers.
When you want to create a brand you want the customer to know
you are the best, provide quality goods and services and have
something more to offer than your competition. Your goals is to
create loyalty and trust. To that end, your customers need to be
educated on the benefits of your products and services. This step
is critical in establishing your brand. It will help to identify the
features of your products and what benefits they provide. The
features that offer the greatest benefits should be emphasized
and the subject of your marketing campaigns. It is important to
know what the customers think about your business.
Customers may have negative feelings about your business
because of bad experiences with your business, website and
products. Others may fear making purchases online.
Using surveys and questionnaires can identify exactly what is
good or bad about your operation and can provide a clear
understanding of your business from the customer's point of
view. You can learn what your reputation is with the consumer
and what they feel about the quality and value of your
products. Their experience dealing with customer service,
your website and other issues could be disclosed by the
surveys or solicited comments.
Creating a brand based on customer input can be very beneficial.
This is especially true if you implement changes based on
customer feedback. The customer then gets a sense of ownership.
It also demostrate empathy on the part of the business owner,
giving your business a more human quality though all dealings
have been handled electronically. It is natural to stick with a
company and products when you are satified and pleased. This
results in repeat business and a better chance for overall success.
Your customer base can be considered as your target audience
when it comes to branding your business. If you do not know and
understand the audience you are targeting then you can not brand
your products and services based on their needs and wishes. Your
audience is the targeted customers you are hoping to reach to
purchase your products and services. To define your target
audience you may need to look at factors such as gender, age,
geographical regions, income and demographics. The age of an
audience must be considered when branding your business. A
younger crowd may want to see a brand that is vibrant, hip and
current. When your audience is older they may be looking for a
brand displaying sophistication, professionalism and status.
Gender of an audience is an issue if you are selling clothing, hats,
jewelry or other such items. Income is something to think about
when considering an audience and developing a brand. You
cannot sell very expensive luxury items to a working class
audience. People with high incomes do not usually consider
purchasing cheap goods.
There are many things about your audience that you must know
when creating a brand. If you do not have a clear understanding
of your target audience then you will likely fail. It is important to
define your audience as narrowly as possible. The more you can
narrow down your audience the more your brand will separate
you from the competition. This means you will have less
competition and a greater share of the customer's dollars coming
to you.
Branding for your targeted audience will allow you to be more
successful and develop longer lasting relationships with your
customers. Targeting the wrong audience can spell disaster to
your business.
Whenever possible, brand your business to better reach your
target audience and to create your own niche.
Leland M. Clark
Rep4Reps.com
(916)712-3456
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Leland ClarkOnline Business & Marketing Coach
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