THE RIPE STUFF

23 Apr ‘19

Make a Good First Impression with These Branding Tips

23 Apr ‘19

In: Branding & Visual Design, / By: Ripe Media

When you hear the word “brand,” what comes to mind?

When most people think of the word brand, they think of a company’s logo.

Companies certainly use logos to make their brand memorable and identifiable, but a company’s brand goes much deeper than the logo they use. If you’re an entrepreneur or new to the business world, you might be wondering “What is company branding?”

Creating a company brand is about creating an experience and a connection with your customers that sets you apart from your competitors. Your brand defines who you are and how you want to be perceived.

Having a strong brand presence helps you attract new audiences and maintain customer loyalty. Developing a brand for your business will set the tone for your future — successful or not.

Keep reading for tips on how to develop a brand for your company that will make a great first impression.

What is Company Branding?

Defining company branding is not easy. The truth is, branding can mean different things to different people.

That’s because a company’s brand is all about the experience and the impression left on the customer. Branding is not just about advertising style.

A company’s logo, style of a commercial, or choice of a hashtag does not alone constitute a brand. All of these methods work in conjunction to create an image, a brand.

Your brand is what sets you apart from your competition. If you and your biggest competitor are selling comparable products or services, how will your customers choose between the two of you? By choosing a brand.

How a customer perceives your brand is all about their experience with your company. This starts with the advertisements that first introduce them to your business and ends with the delivery, product or service, and the customer support they receive.

Why is Branding So Important?

Clever and impactful branding is important because it helps you attain and retain customers.

Branding is how potential customers see you for the first time and how they remember you for repeat business. Branding defines the customer experience which leads to more conversions.

Keep reading for some tips on how to develop an excellent brand for your business.

1. Develop a Plan

The first step to developing a brand is to develop a plan and a strategy.

Before you can execute your plan to develop your brand you need to do some thinking. Identify your target audience and the message you want them to receive.

This is the “what” that comes before the “how.”

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your competition. Identify gaps in the market and see where you can step in.

What are customers lacking that you can provide? If their needs are being met, how can you do things better? Developing a plan will guide your branding efforts in the direction needed to secure results.

2. Focus on Quality AND Quantity

When it comes to branding your business, especially on social media, quantity is just as important as quality.

You want to focus on both and not sacrifice one for the other. In the age of social media marketing, companies have the ability to reach a wide range of audiences by regularly posting advertising content.

There are many different channels and platforms on social media to do this. Unlike other mediums, customers in this market are expecting to see large quantities of material from the businesses they follow.

In fact, they quite literally will “follow” you on social media and look forward to receiving your branded content directly on their homepages. If you focus too much on the quality that you aren’t posting enough, you will give the impression that you are not active and engaging on social media.

This can cost you trust with your followers. On the other hand, posting too much can be a problem if your content lacks quality.

Achieving a balance between quality and quantity is the most effective way to market your brand using social media.

3. Be Consistent

Being consistent with your brand in your marketing helps customers recognize your brand and builds trust.

You want your marketing material to be identifiable without being too predictable that it becomes boring.

Be sure to be consistent across all marketing platforms from social media to packaging and print material. Brands that are highly visible and recognizable are consistent.

4. Be Creative

So much marketing is done on social media these days. This is good and bad for businesses.

It forces companies to be creative and think outside the box. Social media allows businesses to shine like never before.

Customers have constant access to advertisements and branded content. To make them take notice of your brand and keep them interested you have to be original.

5. Be Authentic

Successful marketing campaigns use emotions and stories to show authenticity to their customers.

More than ever before customers are less impressed by flashy displays and are more influenced by brands they connect with on a personal level. Stay true to your message and communicate it in your advertisements to earn and keep customers.

Identifying the struggles of potential customers and offering them a solution is a sure way to win them over.

Other Ways to Market Your Business

These are just a few of the ways to use company branding to market your business. We hope that you have an answer to the question, “What is company branding?” and have learned a few tips to get you started sharing your brand with the world.

For more help developing and executing a branding strategy, consider consulting a professional.