Stand out to prospective customers as a memorable, creative and connected brand. It’s important to catch their eye in places they may be browsing, provide a seamless online experience, and be distinct. An attractive website and logo are important tools, but you should also strive for consistent and immersive branding across your website, social, and Google Business Profile. Read on for our brand tips and put them into practice for a positive and consistent branding experience!
Did you know? In Canada, 51% of shoppers go to Google when discovering a new brand.
Let your brand be the answer when they search and browse
When shoppers go online to search for an interest or product to purchase, they may not have your brand in mind, and often don’t even have a specific product in mind to begin with. Once they’ve narrowed down a product or service, they tend to search for reviews or articles to help inform their decision.
According to Google data, 51% of Canadian consumers say they visit multiple websites before settling on what to buy and where to buy it.
So how do you cement your brand into the minds of customers for their current and future purchases?
By showing up again and again! Encourage customers to become frequent visitors by providing numerous reasons to visit your website. Messaging and promotions that drive traffic back to your site are helpful in this mission. On average, people need to be exposed to a brand at least 5 to 7 times before they start recognizing it, while further consistent exposure over time can be needed for the brand to be remembered by name.
Once they reach your site, ensure there are fresh 5-star reviews from existing customers on display. They help create trust, are a huge boost to brand awareness, and are an incentive for new shoppers to purchase from you.
Sincere and authentic brand messaging is also key for your website, painting a clear picture of your brand values to your target audience. People tend to do business with people they respect and whose values align with theirs, and these better-aligned customers will translate into repeat business.
Provide a smooth online shopping experience with your brand (including mobile!)
Is your digital storefront ready to deliver a fast, seamless, and personal shopping experience? With more people than ever turning to mobile, you can’t afford to overlook it to meet their needs, and a positive experience with your brand on mobile is a critical part of the shopping experience.
Your website should be optimized and have SEO set up for products and services in your storefront.
This includes:
– Fast site loading speed.
– Proper use of headings.
– The correct placement of keywords.
– Keywords and phrases that catch both search engine and your ideal customers’ attention.
Use motivational calls to action
Send customers to your site with motivational calls to action. These can include obtaining coupon codes, attending a free webinar or initial consultation, or downloading something of value for free like an e-book or guide. It’s a great way to generate valuable targeted leads.
With these calls to action, always provide a direct link to fulfillment. Don’t make them click multiple times to find the information you were promoting. This may seem like a no brainer, but we experience misdirected links all the time.
Connect and inspire customers with your brand through video
Another of our important brand tips is to create a presence on YouTube. The influence of the video platform is undeniable, with daily hours of videos watched and views generated surpassing a billion according to Google Data (Global, June 2019). Every day people visit YouTube to learn, stream, and even inspire their next purchase.
Establish a branded YouTube channel, sharing videos of product demos or services, customer testimonials, product specifications or special features, as well as videos that communicate brand values or give glimpses behind the scenes. These videos can then be shared on your website and added to relevant storefront product descriptions.
Set up and use QR Codes
QR codes easily connect branded offline marketing materials to your online presence. For example, this can be used to direct an in-store shopper to a product video, showing your product in action, providing info on current promotions, or sharing reviews.
QR codes can also help you stand out from your competitors. If your product is sold in big box stores and you have competition on the shelf, a product sales video could make the difference between customers purchasing your product or a competitor’s.
And did we mention that the linked information can be easily updated on the fly with just a few clicks when needed?
– Before you continue reading for more brand tips –
Unlock Access to Our Guide:
Why You Need to Think Smarter About Your Brand
You know who you are. What you look like, how you sound, what you care about and believe in. What you offer, what makes you special. Can you say the same about your business? This guide helps you understand the benefits of a strong and authentic brand.
Showcase your product information and deals wherever your customers turn
A great way to maximize sales is to show up in the many places your customers may turn to shop. Whether that’s branded social channels, email campaigns, or offline marketing activities like print (flyers, brochures, coupons) and in-store signage. Consistent branding across all these spaces will eventually become recognizable to more people and inspire trust.
Take steps to tie-in your digital strategy with your in-store sales.
Your customers are often coming to you straight from the web! According to Google Data, searches for “open now near me” have grown globally by over 400% YOY.
(Global English, Sept. 2020–Aug. 2021 vs. Sept. 2019–Aug. 2020)
It’s no secret that people rely on digital sources to make their purchasing decisions. But did you know they’re not just turning to Google search for online purchasing, they’re also using Google to find what they need nearby. That’s why it’s so important for businesses with physical locations to provide a personal, seamless, and locally optimized experience.
Present a strong branded Business Profile on Google
This is one of our top brand tips! When shoppers head to Google to check product and business information before going in-store, you want them to find accurate information. Claim your free Business Profile and fill it out with important details like your address, pickup and delivery options, photos, featured posts, and store hours. Keep it up to date and branded consistently with everything else! If you want to take a deeper dive into Google Business Profiles, we’ve got just the blog for you.
Bonus tip: To easily showcase your in-store product inventory for shoppers as they search, you can use Pointy from Google. It’s free of charge and connects directly to your existing point-of-sale system.
Make sure your profile highlights what makes your brand unique. You can choose various attributes to let customers know details about your business, for example if it’s woman led or LGBTQ+ friendly. If being seen as an inclusive brand is important to you, take advantage of these tools to let people know.
Reach your community with local campaigns
Bring people to your stores by promoting your location(s) to shoppers browsing on Google Maps, Search, YouTube, and the like. Sharing store openings, special in-store promotions, current business hours, and specific products available in nearby stores will drive foot traffic.
And don’t underestimate the power of updating those business hours, be sure to stay on top of any seasonal changes or holidays. I can say from personal experience, it’s so disappointing when I arrive at a store only to find them closed when their Google profile indicated otherwise. This reflects poorly on my brand experience with their business.
Similarly, shoppers want to know if the products they’re looking for are available before coming into stores. Given the unpredictable nature of the supply chain this year, this has become even more important to shoppers. It’s vital to be in step with consumers and adjust your inventory as needed. If there is more interest in your brand or products, change your website and advertising accordingly. Avoid confusion or disappointment by clearly indicating if a product or promotion is only available online, in limited quantities, or is a limited time offer. And finally, highlight your fulfilment options like curbside pickup, pickup today, and pickup later.
When the holidays are approaching, set yourself up for seasonal success by using sales, promotions, and brand awareness campaigns as key tools to drive demand at off-peak times. This could mean uploading your products and holiday deals sooner or revealing shipping and return offerings to attract peak time shoppers earlier on.
It’s time to put our brand tips to work and acquire new customers
These brand tips are just the start when you’re working with an Agency like ours. We’ll help you stand out among your competitors with memorable, creative and connected branding, and make sure you show up where potential customers are searching. Visit our website services page to learn more about how we can help your business and get in touch!
Sources:
1 Google commissioned Ipsos COVID-19 tracker, CA, n=1,001 online consumers 18+, Sept. 9–12, 2021.
2 Google Data, Global, June 2019.
3 Google commissioned Ipsos COVID-19 tracker, CA, n=999 online consumers 18+, April 22–25, 2021.
4 Google Data, Global English, Sept. 2020–Aug. 2021 vs. Sept. 2019–Aug. 2020.
