Building a Brand is way different than building a business. You can plan to grow a business using all the normal methods; writing a business plan, growth strategy, setting sales goals, designing and creating products or services. But growing a brand is a completely different strategy. And growing the loyalty behind that brand is just a piece of the puzzle.
Building a brand is what creates that ironclad trust that you want your dreamiest of clients and customers to lock into forever. It’s the thing that creates recognition, build expectations and ultimately leads to sales.
But how do you really grow that loyalty? How do you get them to buy into you and your company?
The first step is really making sure you have aligned the image you are projecting with the one it is giving back. If you are attracting the wrong kind of customers, getting little traction online or not seeing the results you were expecting, chances are there is something that needs to shift.
It could be your brand “look” – the skin that makes up your company. This includes not only your logo, but the kind of imagery you use on your products, on your website and in your social media. Even how you personally dress, and how you portray yourself online and in public affect the “look” of your business.
It could be your brand “voice” – the written or spoken word. What do you say about yourself online? What do your reviews say? What does your marketing collateral say? What does the tone convey? Are you upbeat and casual or formal and precise?
It could be your brand “story” – the life your business takes on, on and offline. Do you make yourself out to be the mom and pop shop down the street or are you a large company who portrays yourself as such? Perhaps your story reflects one thing, but you are actually another which is causing confusion for your client or potential customer.
Once these pieces have been aligned you might start looking at ways to grow loyalty. Many times the more transparent your brand becomes towards your business this loyalty will begin to happen naturally. You can, however, take some of the following opportunities to fast track your customers coming back for more.
Define Purpose – Show them your ultimate purpose and be brutally honest about it. If you are in it to make a difference, don’t hide it. If you have a family legacy to hold up, let it shine. Tell people your mission (not just your mission statement) and have your company live by it. Want to work on this some more? We'e got just the thing for you: start our free 7 day course called Spark Your Creativity: 7 Steps to Ignite Your Creative Business.
Be Superior and 100% Humble – We don’t want you to buy a one way ticket to Bragtown, but you also have to let it be known that you are the expert in your industry. Talk about what makes your business better than all the rest (Is it quality? Service? Maybe materials?). But always follow it up with a gracious acceptance. At the end of the day you are made a business because of the people who buy from you.
Make Customer Service Your #1 Priority – Sometimes a script and a form email seem like the simple way to solve problems. But 9 times out of 10 if you just listened, and gave valid solutions/resolutions, customers that may have walked away will be HAPPY all over again. Think about companies that you know and love who have superior customer service. Maybe they go out of their way to deliver a phone call or a handwritten note. Pay attention to aspects of great customer service that you like and try implementing it in your own business.
Deliver as Promised – Things can be out of your control at times, but when at all possible deliver exactly what was promised, on time, no questions asked. Being a reliable resource keeps people around and it also makes them way more likely to share your company as a referral to someone else.
Show Your True Colors – Don’t pretend to be anyone else and definitely stop trying to mimic their tactics, their game and their style. You started your own business for a reason and now it is time to put a little more you back in it. We believe being truly 100% authentic and ourselves online and this has served us well. There’s no reason to build a business where you force yourself to be someone you’re not.
Time Will Tell – Occasionally the only thing left to do is wait. All businesses and brands have a lifecycle and you have to listen to it. Put in the hustle, make strategic decisions, tweak and repeat. You’ve got this! Need some growth strategies for Social Media? We’ve got you covered:
Ask for Help – It is perfectly acceptable to know when you need help. Sometimes you need a creative person to spice up that about page for you. We’ve got a growing tribe of Creative Entrepreneurs waiting to lend you a hand over in our private community. Head inside, introduce yourself and let’s meet!
Original article and pictures take thinkcreativecollective.com site
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