When creating your brand, it’s imperative that you think about everything from your logo to color scheme to the tag line. You also have to develop an awesome brand and have a memorable brand name, strong message, support system, and all of the necessary legalities, like getting trademarked, in place.
But, that’s only the beginning of your branding process. To help you complete creating your awesome brand, give these nine tips a spin as well.
How do people see you?
“The interesting thing about your personal brand is it’s never what you say it is, it’s actually what everyone else says it is,” writes founder and chairman of the award-winning matchmaking firm PCBA Paul C. Brunson. “Therefore, the first place to begin in the building and growth of your brand is to know what people think of you.”
Paul adds that you can find out how others view by: “googling yourself, holding a focus group (of close friends), or asking a life coach or business coach to conduct a 360 analysis on your behalf (we do this for all of our clients and it’s very effective).”
Build your online platform
Blogger, author, digital strategist, and speaker Jeff Bullas recommends that you, “Build your own online platform such as a blog or website that you own, then amplify your content and engage with your audience on social networks.” Be adds, “Use LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter or even Pinterest and Instagram. You have options. Find what social network resonates with you.”
Also don’t forget to harness the power of content marketing, guest blogging, and networking.
You can’t please everyone
Years ago at a marketing conference, my friend Jonathan Long from Market Domination Media told me that “You’re never going to please everyone, so don’t try to be everything to everyone. Learn to be the best brand possible to a specific set of users.” This still sticks out to me as myself as a business owner really can’t do everything. If I try and please everyone… it’s not even possible.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself – even if that means saying the things that no one else will. Remember, you’re not in business to please everyone. You’re in business to grow a business, not please everyone.
Weave your brand into everything you do
Personal branding should be a large part of everything you do. It should be weaved into your life. It shouldn’t just be in the clothes you wear but in your every action with friends and business colleagues.
Keep weaving.
Your brand should show in how your blog online. For example, my personal brand always is helping entrepreneurs. When I attend networking events I try to have the same person you read about online, shine at networking events. If you try to be someone you’re not, it will show.
Associate your business with strong brands
“Your personal brand is strengthened or weakened by your connection to other brands,” said Shama Hyder is Founder and CEO of Marketing Zen. “Find and leverage strong brands that can elevate your own personal brand.”
You can begin by looking at the three C’s: company, college, colleagues.
For example, you could contribute content to your alumni or company newsletter or blog.
Be consistent
As a customer, think about the brands that you are most loyal to. Chances are that they’ve earned your trust because they are dependable. For example, Zappos is known for delivering superior customer service. Dropbox includes it’s signature hand-drawn blue box logo on all of its messaging.
Bot examples prove just how important consistency is for brands.
As Hannah Fleishman states on HubSpot, “All of your communications and marketing assets should tell your brand’s story.”
Create value
You should be producing value with whatever you do. You don’t have to be Apple to have an amazing product. Even lower-end products like Ikea produce a lot of value to their customers.
When thinking about the value that you can add, ask questions like;
What sets your product, service, and company apart from your competitors?
What value do you provide and how does that value differ from that provided by your competitors?
So you see it’s not about what you think that makes the brand. It is what consumers think and feels about you.
And people will form opinions about your business whether you want them to or not. So it is critical to take explicit branding actions to influence these opinions.
It is an essential component of your marketing foundation.
Looking to create a smashing brand image?
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to improving your continuous learning for yourself and your team?
Do you have a lesson about making your brand marketing better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he writes about topics to help improve the performance of a small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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