If you’re like many others in the US, you probably have a favorite local restaurant or coffee shop to visit. It’s a place you can count on for good service and a satisfying product. But, have you ever thought about what distinguished it from more well-known chain businesses?
Most likely, there was something about the business’ branding that caught your attention. Maybe it was its unique sign or the unparalleled atmosphere you found inside.
Whatever the case, chances are the business followed the essential steps of branding to make that business appealing. If you want to start a business, you’ll need to follow similar steps. So, we’ll walk you through the 4 steps of brand building you need to get your business started!
1. The Steps of Branding Start with Perception
When you start defining your brand, first determine how you want customers to perceive you. What do you want them to say after they’ve had your product or service? What special touch of yours do you want them to notice?
Let’s say you own a coffee shop. Would you want your customers to describe it as the coziest coffeehouse around, or perhaps the most affordable?
2. Center Your Brand Building on that Idea
Once you know how you want customers to perceive you, lean into that pitch! Building a strong brand depends on keeping your promise to customers. This way, you become a reliable service in their eyes and distinguish yourself from competitors.
What does that look like on a practical level? First, it means keeping your promise in such a way that your business can profit. Let’s go back to the coffeehouse example.
If you want to build your reputation on low prices, you’ll have to find a way to get as many customers in the door as possible to offset those prices. Only through this can you turn a profit on your business.
3. Broadcast Your Promise
The next of the four steps of brand building is broadcasting your promise. These days, you can make this task easy for yourself by using social media. Many small businesses have opted to follow this route, using Facebook or LinkedIn advertisements.
At this point in the process, your branding will become a focal point in your advertising campaigns. However, your ad campaigns should become a little more straightforward to write. If you’ve used successful branding techniques, you’ll have a clear message to convey to viewers.
4. Stay Consistent With Your Messaging
Once you’ve established your branding message, you must stay consistent. As customers come to recognize and trust your business, your branding promise becomes an expectation from customers. They now expect your business to make good on its promise.
If that sounds intimidating, don’t worry! All this means is that the community has come to love and trust your business. Work hard to avoid letting them down.
Start Building Your Brand
With these steps of branding, you can begin building your brand identity. Find something that seems appealing and lean into that message. For more help with this, look up resources on the five steps of brand positioning.
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