Branding is not merely coming up with a name for your business. It involves a meticulous process that requires marketing, knowing your target audience, guidelines, mission statement and values, knowing your competition and Creating Value Propositions.

Branding is a continuous process that never stops. Brands evolve with time and even when the brand is established.

Brands are formed in the minds of customers, and once a good marketing strategy paints a picture of what the identity of the product is, then there is no changing the public's perception.

Building a good Brand requires a lot of time and resources. It involves building a relationship with the public made on promises and unique personality of the product.

 

What is Brand?

A brand is a physical attribute that identifies a product uniquely differentiate it from the rest.

Physical branding involves logos, names, packaging but branding is not only physical. It is also an emotional tie that a product has with their customers.

Branding also goes down to the personality of the product values, promises and quality that customer can recognize and grow to love and count on.

 

Simple guidelines to building a reputable brand.

 

  1. Know your target audience

 

It is needless to say that without knowing the end user of your product, effective branding is going to be impossible.

Any brand should have insights on their audience and use this data to appeal to them effectively.

It starts with the simple question of;

  • Who is the product for? If you do not know the answer to this question, then your product will blend in with thousands of other brands. For example is it women? Children? Men? Teachers? Working personnel?
  • Who is the secondary audience? Who is consuming your product that or your product is reaching? If your product is for children the secondary audience, in this case, would be the parents you have to create a brand that parents can support because they ultimately decide to buy your product or not.

 

  1. Mission statement and values for your brand.

 

The mission and vision should tell the public why you exist and what you hope to achieve. Values are the guiding principles to which your company makes any decisions.

These should be words they repeat in the commercials, pinned up in your stores, reflected in your slogan and also in your product and product delivery service.

It is also essential that the people involved with your brand not only know the values and promises but uphold them.

Make sure that these are not just words written but a way of life of your employees and brand ambassadors because if there any inconsistencies customers will lose trust in your band.

 

  1. Know your competition

 

In any business, it is essential to check and find out the kind of message that your competitors are putting across and make sure that you brake the norm come up with something to revolutionize your industry giving your target audience a unique experience that they cannot resist. If your brand is known to be the game changer with new products, better service delivery, great employees, pushing boundaries the personality of your brand will outshine your competition.

 

  1. Create Value Propositions

 

This answers the question of why I should buy your product.

For any brand, your Value Propositions has to be high to give a breath of fresh air to your industry.

This is usually through going above and beyond for your consumer. For example free shipping, sugar-free products, complimentary services, organic products among other giving ease solving a nagging aspect or even bringing the best product on the market

Elements that attract even the most difficult of customers to be invited to your brand. It sure does not hurt to be the brand that people are willing to cross the road for even if there is your competition where they are standing.

 

  1. Brand guidelines

 

These help to protect the reputation of your business no matter who interacts with it. Sharp and clear instructions help spell out what your brand stands for and promote professionalism they include

  • Logos
  • Fronts
  • Colors
  • Style of writing
  • Tone of voice
  • Pictures
  • Videos

These guidelines hold your brand together. They become a marker of your personality and identity that a customer should be able to recognize you as they do a friend in a crowd.

Guidelines are basically the face of your company.

 

  1. Market your brand

 

Once you have a proper name, logo, and values, it is time to market your brand. Selling your company to the public for them to start trusting you hence buying your product.

There is so much that goes into marketing your bran but here are some of the tips to start you off

  • Advertising is an effective method because it puts your best foot forward and you are in charge of the native hence you give the public the information that will make you look good.
  • Networking; meet power players in your industry and make them affiliated with your brand, this can also be done through endorsements and participating in industry competitions and seminars. Build relationships with marketing it is hard to be an island build relationship with organizations that will push your product to the next level.
  • Develop a relationship with your customers. This is a powerful marketing tool. Customer like to be heard. Having an open communication channel with them and using their feedback while making decisions will highly market your brand to another level

 

To learn more about Branding and digital marketing, visit Sadja WebSolutions.

Author's Bio: 

Baraka Kalumba is an Entrepreneur and founder of Sadja WebSolutions discovery of digital marketing, design and technology trends to inspire creativity and become a digital destination. Journalist and copywriter of a global digital agency called Doomshel, a full-service digital agency focused on growing.

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