By thoughtfully defining and sharing your company values, mission, image, messaging and overall personality – you can build a strong brand for your business.
If you listen, you can hear people talking about your brand. Whether it’s simply a shout out, a compliment, or a complaint, it’s important to closely monitor what’s being said about your business. Why does it matter what “they” are saying? Because regardless of whether “they” are never going to need, want, or buy anything you’re selling, if they’re talking about your brand, “they” are the ones spreading your brand message.
When you develop a consistent and dependable brand, your target audience will start to build trust in your knowledge, expertise, and passion for what you do.
IMPROVE YOUR REVENUE AND REACH WITH THESE 5 STRATEGIES
Whether you’re a start-up firm, a young business looking to grow, or a well-established and thriving organization, there’s always room for improvement in your branding strategy. Even the greatest brands sometimes need to refresh their strategies and come back to their roots every now and then.
Here are some brand strategy best practices, along with some simple explanations as to how they can help you improve your sales revenue and reach new audiences.
Stand for Something
Your purpose for running your business doesn’t have to be extravagant, but it should be clear. Think about the meaning behind your work. Do you know why you do what you do? What drives you? Dig down deep to define the passion and/or cause behind the business you run. Now, think about how your passion could inspire others. People want to be inspired. In fact, according to the Digital Branding Institute, “91 percent of Millennials say they would switch brands in order to be associated with one with a cause.”
Do you stand for something worth switching brands for? If you do, it could be the reason you win more sales than your competitors.
Be Active on Social Media
Once you’ve developed the key messaging and image for your brand, it’s important to be involved in creating brand awareness and maintaining your reputation on the appropriate social media channels. But beyond just posting great content on social media, you also need to join in the conversation. Share thoughtful content that inspires people to engage with your brand. Ask questions, reply to comments, use emojis – jump right in! Creating brand ambassadors within your organization is also a great way to amplify your message even further.
According to a recent Sprout Social article, “89 percent of social media messages to brands go ignored.” By simply responding to your customers, you’re already winning at the social media branding game.
Be Accessible
Instant messaging applications make it easy to interact with your customers on a more personal level. Giving customers direct access to a customer service representative that they can connect with on your website is a great way to make your business more accessible. Plus, these days, who has time to make a phone call? Chatting online is easier, and faster than email.
The faster your customers can get their questions answered, the faster they can move on to making a decision.
Build Online Reviews
According to Search Engine Land, “88 percent of customers trust online reviews just like any personal recommendation.” It’s crucial to encourage customers to leave online reviews, and to consistently respond to all positive and negative reviews in a timely manner. Simply acknowledging a problem or mistake is sometimes all it takes to appease a frustrated customer. And don’t forget to thank those customers who are singing your praises. A simple thank you can go a long way.
Customers will remember how much (if any) attention is paid to their concerns. Show your customers that your brand cares, and set the bar high for your competitors.
Mobile is the Future
The way things are going, desktops could soon be a thing of the past. There, we said it. With mobile internet use surpassing desktop use in recent years, it’s only a matter of time before desktop websites and applications will be considered a thing of the past. When you think about how your brand is perceived, it’s important to think about mobile users first and foremost.
Do you customers get the same brand experience whether they’re using a desktop computer, a tablet, or a smartphone? (Psst – The answer should be yes!)
Join the Conversation
The power of the internet today makes is possible for anyone to jump into the conversation about your brand, whether you like it or not. Though you can’t and shouldn’t be everything to everyone, it’s still important to know how your brand is perceived, both by your target audience and anyone else involved in telling the story of your brand.
By having a clear purpose, being active on social media, being accessible to your customers, building online reviews and branding with mobile consumers in mind, you can effectively increase your sales revenue. Do you need help developing a brand to help you grow your sales revenue? Commonplaces can help.
Get in touch today to get started.
