Summer is coming to an end and we hope you were able to
relax and spend some time with family and friends and maybe even squeeze in
some beach time. But now it’s time to get back to business and round out 2016
with some serious success.
To that end, here are five best practices for building your
brand.
1. Create better customer experiences. Your brand is about so much more than what your logo and
website look like. Your brand involves experiences, as in how do you make your
customer feel every step of the way? Think about the experience you want your
customers to have and make sure everything you do and every interaction you
have helps create this experience.
What to do: Take
a hard look at the different areas of your business—customer service, social,
sales, customer loyalty strategies, and so forth—and see what needs
improvement. Pay attention to customer feedback. They won’t be shy in telling
you what’s working and what’s not, but it’s up to you to take action. You will
learn the most from your biggest critics, so listen carefully.
2. Be consistent. If
you’re touting one string of messages on your website and another on your
social channels, then this creates a disconnect. Be consistent with your
messaging across all channels.
What to do:
Conduct an audit of all materials/places where your core messages appear and
see if the messages are consistent. Better yet, ask someone else to look at
your channels (e.g. website, social, online ads). Use a service like UserTesting.com if
you need help. For each channel, ask the person what the main message is. Based
on the feedback you receive, identify any inconsistencies and correct them.
3. Make sure your content marketing supports your brand. All the content you produce should reinforce your brand,
and not just in terms of messaging, but also the look and feel.
What to do: If
you haven’t been using one already, get in the habit of creating a content
calendar. A calendar provides a clear snapshot of all your content so that you
can easily spot holes or issues (for example, perhaps you spend too much time
on one message while neglecting another). Conduct an audit of all layouts and
make sure the physical presentations align with your brand from a visual
perspective as well.
4. Do something different. If you want your brand to truly stand out, then you need to
do something that will make it stand out. And, yes, we’re talking about
something bigger than simply stating on your website the ways you’re different
from your competitors. Here are some ideas:
- Create a company mascot and use it on everything
- Become an industry thought leader
- Publish books or eBooks, whatever works for you
5.
Develop brand ambassadors. You can’t do it
alone. The way to build your brand and get the word out is by tasking people
with the job of promoting your brand—both employees and customers.
