The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
If you can build a popular brand and gain loyal customers you can succeed on the high street where others have failed. In order to make an impact and fight off the competition, both on and offline, you need to create a brand that is impossible to ignore. With branding it’s possible to attract your target customer, create a vibe and atmosphere, gain respect, build trust and succeed, so where are a few tips on how to brand your business.
Before Your Brand
There are a few questions you need to answer to help you develop the perfect branding:
How do you want to be perceived? It’s impossible to target all consumers, it’s far easier to be successful if you pick a niche and focus on getting it right. Work out what makes you unique and why your target audience will fall in love with your services and products.
Do you know your customer? You’ll need to research the types of customer you’re selling too and discover what they do with their time, their likes and dislikes, shopping habits and then build a brand based on your findings.
Are your ideas consistent? You will need to market and advertise in many different areas and it’s important to ensure your branding is consistent. The image should be the same, targeting the same people and delivering the same message or vibe. You can then begin marketing on social media, on your website, in-store, in newspapers, magazines and on the radio.
How will you express your brand in your bricks and mortar store? You’ll need to think about the atmosphere of your brand and work out how you can create that in store. Additionally you’ll need to pick the perfect products or services that match in with your brand and the customers too. You can’t have a hip and funky brand that’s aimed at 14 to 25 year olds and then expect products aimed at 50 year olds to get right. You need the whole package.
Will your website deliver the right message that’s consistent with your bricks and mortar store? Your website needs to reflect the store so customers can quickly recognise you either on or offline. Think about design, colours, typography and the web copy along with the layout and features your customers will expect and appreciate.
You must ensure that your employees understand the brand you’re building and help them compliment the business. Teach them about your target audience; train them on how you want them to communicate with your customers and the main messages and ethics of the business.
In addition to training and personalities you can use your employees to publicly advertise and advocate your brand. Give them branded clothing to wear, provide them with key rings, bags, has, anything emblazoned in your logos and colours. Branded clothing and accessories can be used to promote your business, even when employees are not at work.
With consistent messaging, strong design, excellent customer service and customer/product research it’s possible to create a strong brand that can succeed on the high street.
About the Author
The author, Mark Jones, is a full time copywriter and a blogger who has a soft spot for marketing, both on and offline. He has written thousands of articles and posts over the last five years and is now considered to be a major influencer online. Follow his work on popular marketing websites and blogs.
