As a business owner, you want sales leads that convert into actual paying customers. But are there times when that seems more and more difficult?
Yes, the economy may be sluggish or maybe your particular industry is experiencing a slowdown. But have you considered another good reason why you may be experiencing a lack of quality leads, fewer customers and lower closed sales?
The bad news is, you can’t control the fluctuations in the marketplace. But the good news is there is something you can do to boost sales even during tough economic times. It all comes down to how you position your products and services, how you relate to customers and how you communicate your value to prospective leads. And it’s completely within your control.
We’re talking about your brand strategy.
Essentially, it’s a blueprint for your business and a proven way to attract the right kind of customers.
Isn’t Brand Strategy simply a Marketing Plan?
Branding is much more than a plan for promotional campaigns. It’s a way to create a self-sustaining loop of new and future customers. That’s why most successful businesses have switched from marketing to branding strategies.
Marketing focuses on promotion, but you’ll come to see that promotion is only one part of the customer value journey.
A winning brand strategy looks at the whole customer experience, from start to finish. And it aligns sales and marketing efforts, so they follow one clear plan that can help you position your business and your products.
In fact, many of our branding clients have been amazed at the usefulness of a solid brand strategy. They often remark how it helped them refine their business plan and made them think of their business in a whole new way.
Marketing Promotes, But Branding Builds Trust & Loyalty
Marketing campaigns only work in the short-term. But a solid branding strategy can build you a loyal base of customers, ones who will spread positive word of mouth and who will actively promote your products and services.
Brand strategy also gives you:
- The ability to manage your public corporate image
- Effective strategies for all company communications
- Clarity when it comes to your business goals and a way to track your performance
- The information to target the right kind of customers who are more likely to buy
- Well defined values, characters, vision and purpose to position your brand and tell your story
- The best insight and strategic direction so you can effectively manage your brand over time
- And your employees a sense of pride and helps reduce staff turnover
So, how do you develop a brand strategy that works for you?
Success is Tied to How You Build Your Brand
First, you have to be clear about your brand.
You need to follow some steps to identify what makes your business unique. Not just your products and services, but what makes your company different from the rest? Is it your company culture? Your history in the industry? Your values and beliefs? Your staff? The way you treat customers?
In other words, what is your brand identity?
You can’t begin to position yourself in the marketplace if you’re not clear on who you are and the value you bring. First, think about your company’s purpose and mission. What does your company believe in and what does it stand for? Then think about how best to communicate that identity through creative and visual materials.
Then, you need to think about elements of your branding …
What messages do you want to put out there? What do you want to communicate to potential customers? What channels will work best? A website? Blogs? Email Newsletters? Social media? Events or Tradeshows? Online or Offline advertising? Think about your ideal customers and where can you reach them best.
Then, you might want to consider how you’ll manage your brand over time, to ensure a steady flow of customers. We’re talking about an integral part of your brand strategy.
What is your plan’s time frame? Do you have certain goals for the short and long term? What does success look like to you? Build your brand strategy with those things in mind. And have certain benchmarks, so you can gauge your success.
Branding Builds a Bridge to Potential Customers
It takes careful thought and strategic choices, but many brands have built a loyal customer following by asking themselves these important questions.
If this seems like a lot to consider, we actually have a step by step process that has worked for many of our clients. And guess what? We’re going to be giving away some of those secrets in our latest blog series.
You’ll be learning about a new method called the “branding bridge”. Haven’t heard of the bridge? You will. And believe us, you will love it, because it’s a guaranteed way to bridge any distance between you and your ideal customers.
Want to skip the blogs and dive straight into your company’s branding?
Contact us for a free one-on-one brand strategy consultation or book an Original Brand Assessment, which will identify how strong your brand is and the next steps on how to boost your brand’s effectiveness.
– Imagine your brand foundation: built for growth and future success –
Unlock Access to Our E-book:
The Small Business Guide to Brand Strategy
This guide is full of information on how to create an overall brand strategy that will help you successfully market your business. It helps you craft an authentic brand story, then helps you uncover when, where and how to communicate it to your target audiences.
