While branding may seem simple in concept, it is quite a difficult process to execute correctly.
A company’s success relies on how well the public interprets a brand image that combines several different elements such as logo design, mission statements, and a consistent theme.
Those who have demonstrated their expertise in successful branding are more than willing to share with
others some of the strategies they have used–and there are often many tips and tactics that can be easily implemented into even a basic marketing campaign.
Research from Zendesk has indicated that an overwhelming majority of customers consider consistent branding important when shopping between web and physical stores.
When it comes to branding, research found that 87% of consumers would like to see consistent messaging across all touchpoints and channels. Customers expect that your brand is the same across channels.
Thus, it’s critical for you to make sure that everything about your brand is consistent, whether it be the tone of voice when communicating with customers or the website design.
For example, there are many well known brands today who stick to a specific color palette when it comes to their use of hues and overall look especially when it comes to logos.
Customers expect this from you more than ever if they follow you on social media versus if they’ve only interacted with you physically in-store or by telephone.
Branding in-store for some companies can be a little different to how they present themselves online.
Online marketers need to think about how their products are positioned and packaging which is why we tend to see more planogramming action going on with online marketing because that’s an area where people have control over what they’re selling on their website.
The same can’t be said of retail stores where customers are able to walk around and interact with the product in-store.
It might seem obvious but this has a direct effect on how a consumer experiences your brand in person versus online.
Because people do get hands-on during shopping, the experience is more experiential than not.
However, branding essentials remain the same no matter how you present yourself whether that’s to your audience through print, video or social media or whether that’s directly to customers who can pick up and touch items at point of sale.
The Importance of Branding
An established and unique brand can be a competitive advantage over your rivals, helping you acquire and retain customers at much lower costs than your smaller competitors could afford.
The more momentum your business gains, the wealthier it will become. Even if you’re working hard on building a brand identity, keeping an eye on how others perceive it is also important.
An ecommerce business, especially one that’s just starting up, may find itself with no real brand at all if the owner hasn’t taken even sometime to consider how they wish to present themselves to the world.
Set your brand apart from its competitors by creating a strong sense of loyalty and identity by tailoring your strategies in mind.
Craft your brand’s marketing messages to convey the relationship it has with the consumer, rather than trying to create a relationship that doesn’t exist.
The more intense the relationship you have with consumers, the better opportunity for success. Create an overall strategy based on current day-to-day activities.
Your marketing plan is going to outline your goals and what it is you need to do in order to get there. Sometimes, as entrepreneurs, we lose sight of our goals because we’re too focused on details.
And then before you know it, we’ve already lost focus on what matters most: the bigger picture.
How to build a brand presence online?
1.Understanding your customers:
When starting a business, one of the biggest jobs you must tackle is finding ways to communicate with your target customers. This is a very important aspect of any brand and it’s crucial that you put in some time to highlight the key elements of your brand that will capture the attention (and presumably the hearts) of consumers.
You need to identify what makes your company stand out from others, pinpoint and distinguishable approaches that other companies would never conceive of or get away with using themselves. Then you can use these distinctive traits in your marketing strategy.
2.Define your brand:
The persona of your brand is the personality of your business and how you put this into play when presenting online content to your target consumer.
Knowing about your customer’s company experience will help you to determine: -what kind of tone of voice works best, -their favorite types of language and grammar; -literal images versus more stylized images (aesthetic vs illustrative).
A good working relationship with a search engine optimization specialist can provide the time needed to identify a successful strategy that resonates with those visiting your website.
3.Brand promise:
This is a HUGE question and it’s meant to get you thinking about what problems are you going to solve for your customers and how will their lives change when they use your brand.
In fact, 66% of consumers think that transparency is very important in a brand.
4.Customer experience:
Even though you don’t have full control over how your customers will react to your brand in the long run, it’s important to make every interaction and touch point with them as positive as possible.
You can do this by never straying from your brand promise or brand guidelines and ensuring that every aspect of how your business communicates is aligned accordingly.
According to 69% of customers, the most significant way you can improve customer satisfaction is through developing trust. This ties in to everything from how quickly orders are handled to how you handle things like
returns to the tone of voice used in email marketing communications and a whole lot more.
Conclusion
Let your customers know you’re thankful that they chose to do business with you. Show your appreciation by running special promotions, offering a few tips of kindness like an unexpected discount or a surprise gift.
It’s a surefire way to strengthen your brand and build long-term relationships with your customers.
