BUILDING A RECOGNIZABLE BRAND

Starting a company is exciting but there are certain tips and strategies when building a brand, especially if you want it to be a recognizable one. Sometimes, we focus too much on instant growth and bypass the necessary beginning steps to making sure there’ a strong foundation in place. The key is to be patient and to protect the brand by putting branding and marketing ahead of sales, especially when you’re starting out.

Simon Sinek presented the The Golden Circle concept in his TED Talk “Start with Why”.

The 3 Parts to The Golden Circle:

• What – the products or services you offer to your customers
• How – the things that differentiate you from the competition
• Why – the reason you are passionate and why you exist

His model is a great way to think about your brand as a whole and to come up with answers to the above questions. Sometimes, as entrepreneurs, we want to start brands or create a product, but we don’t even understand what we are offering or selling. Once you have narrowed down the actual product or service, and how you are going to do this, the next focus should be why.

• Focus on storytelling, rather than making sales: Your why is key because it goes hand in hand with your brand purpose, values and storytelling. Consumers nowadays are more inclined to trust a brand and support a brand if their values align with the brand’s. In addition, relatability is another deciding factor when it comes to purchasing habits. More often than not, consumers want to be able to relate to the brand’s story and this is why the about us and purpose matters. Especially with the drastic increase in online sales, consumers use emotions including personal experiences to drive their shopping habits over information including facts about the products. You need to be able to communicate that story in an authentic and clear way to your targeted audience and make sure that messaging is consistent throughout your social channels and content.
• Nail branding: The branding of your company is essentially your baby. Everything about the product including the packaging, copywriting, logos, slogans or mission statement is how you are showcasing your brand as well as how the public will receive it. Make sure you don’t rush this step because it’s an essential part in introducing yourself to the world. When you think of Apple and Nike, you automatically think of their logos, slogans and products. There is a direct, clear connection with those names and what the company is all about. You need to make sure that all those branding elements align with your brand so there is a cohesive marketing strategy in place for you to sell yourself.
• Know your community: If you know why you are passionate about creating your brand and what your product or service fills in the market, then you have to research your customer. Find what’s relevant to them, what they care about and stay on top of trends as those will and can affect your business. You can also go to the places that they are hanging out like Instagram or Tik Tok and see what they’re talking about. These are all useful data and information to help you know your community more.
• Don’t forget customer journey: Putting yourself in your customer’s shoes will give you insight to their journey. The customer journey starts from the moment they hear about your brand to landing on the website/ social media pages, to the overall user experience when navigating your products/ services to checking out. Since many sales are happening on the mobile device, you should not forget to prioritize making everything mobile friendly. The customer journey is often underrated when it comes to building a recognizable brand but it’s everything especially when it’s the first time a customer is being introduced to your brand.
• Have a strong social media presence: Social media is the driving force of a lot of brand’s success, growth and sales. 67 percent of consumers in the U.S. expect to contact your brand on social, so whether you have no budget or a huge budget, invest in making sure you have a strong social media presence. When you’re starting out, focus on networks that are relevant to your target audience and start getting social. It’s not just about having content out there, but make sure you are engaging with your audience and future customers because good customer service on social is directly linked to business growth. 

• Gaining PR for your brand: A known strategy in getting a brand off the ground is awareness and this can be done with the help of public relations. You can either hire a PR agency or specialist or do the outreach yourself. Start local by sending out your press release to appropriate publications and networks. Make sure the information aligns with your brand story, purpose and values. You can also utilize influencers and bloggers since they’re a great way to serve as brand ambassadors in the social realm. 

It’s not always easy to build a recognizable brand, but with the focus on long term growth and branding in the initial stages, it will make it easier to have a strong, sustainable brand.