Your business plan must have a branding strategy. You must have a written plan to alert customers about your brand. A branding strategy contains a list of tactics and how a business will adopt those tactics over time to apply its brand throughout the company. A good branding strategy shows one or two of the most significant features of your products and services, describes your company’s vision to the world and also defines your potential clients. The result is a clear plan of what’s most important for your business and for your customers.
A good branding strategy shows one or two of the most significant features of your products and services, describes your company’s vision to the world and also defines your potential clients. For example if you wanted to create some pop displays for stores then you would want to find a way to convey you brand to the consumer that is why companies are associated with certain colors, attributes, etc.
Creating a branding strategy is important for a business. But it is not as complicated or scary as it might sound. Below are the steps that you can follow to create a brand for your business:
Try to find your USP
Yours is not the only business providing the product or services of its kind. There must be dozens of others. Why should people buy from you and not from your competitors? Try to think about the intangible qualities of your product and service that are capable of setting you apart from those competitors. In other words, try to find the USP (unique selling point) of your product and service. Try to offer customers something new and unique, which is not available in your competitor’s product/service.
Your product must speak for itself
Many businesses write a vision and mission statement on their corporate website. But these are just not enough. How will you show your customers that you mean every word you say? After all, the quality of your products and services are more important to them than the mission and vision of your business. For example, if you claim to provide “quick” service, try to expedite and provide real quick service to clients. Remember, action is more important than statements for building a brand.
Know your audience
Once you have a product, try to think from the perspective of a customer. Try to find out who the potential customers for your product are. You should gather demographic information about a market, if you are trying to explore a new market. But if the market is already known to you, concentrate on your customers’ needs. Think of the real customer who can walk into your office or browse your website, and think of that one thing that he expects from your product or service. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your customers and think. Customers are buying for a reason and it is important that you understand their reason and address it accordingly.
Give them a number to reach you
You should also remember to provide a contact number to customers. This makes a brand look more credible and trustworthy. It is a general practice that people prefer to talk to a company representative before they pay money to buy a particular product or service. This also assures them of customer service post sales. People wish to talk, even when they are buying from online stores. A contact number always generates better customer responses and attracts new customers because it increases the credibility of a business. It makes a business look more reliable.
A branding strategy need not be long. Ideally a branding strategy should be no longer than a page. It can even be a short paragraph, depending on the product or service. You need to make sure to follow all the above mentioned points even before you have actually launched a product/service. A brand is an important asset of a business. You need time to develop a brand. It cannot be done over night. You have to have patience for developing the brand of a business.
