There’s no doubt that we are living in an age of increased brand awareness. Today’s average consumer is more aware of brands and their associated values than ever before. This has resulted in increased importance placed on a brand’s ability to cement its identity in the mind of its target audience.
Cementing your brand identity isn’t just about getting people to remember your logo or slogan; it’s about ensuring that consumers associate your brand with something you feel proud of. Luckily, there are five practical ways you can ensure your brand stands out among the rest in the eyes of your customers.
1. Keep Core Values at the Front of Your Marketing Efforts
Your brand values are arguably the most essential part of your marketing strategy. These core values should be the backbone of your branding efforts that can drive your customers’ purchasing decisions. The first step towards cementing your brand is ensuring that your target audience understands what values are most important to you.
This will enable your target audience to make informed decisions about the products and services you provide for their lives. More importantly, it will help them recognize you as a credible business they can trust.
When it comes to marketing, you want to ensure that your core values are front and center at all times. So whether you’re creating a new product or are looking to rebrand an existing one, make sure that you start with a thorough examination of your core values. Increased favorability happens when your brand values align with the values of your target audience.
2. Invest in Quality Social Media Marketing
61% of consumers trust social media recommendations from individuals, like family, friends, and influencers. However, only 38% are likely to trust recommendations coming from brands. This is why investing in a strong social media marketing campaign — and leveraging influencer marketing — is so important.
Unfortunately, many companies make the mistake of relying on social media as a last resort. They’re not sure how to use it effectively or they don’t understand how important it is in the grand scheme of things. This can backfire because they end up spending far more money than is necessary. The key here is to invest in quality social media marketing services that will help you achieve your goals and make an impact on your target audience.
3. Find Opportunities To Offer Merch
You can do a lot to build your brand with just a little bit of creativity. One great way to do this is by offering your customers free merchandise that they can use to promote your business. For example, you can provide free stickers, pens, keychains, or even T-shirts they can wear as they travel around town. This not only helps you build your brand but also gives you an opportunity to interact with the people who are wearing it.
In fact, offering swag is successful enough that 60% of consumers research companies online after receiving some type of giveaway item. This gives your organization an affordable way to gain valuable visibility from customers who may not be familiar with your brand.
4. Get More Involved in the Community
Branding doesn’t only happen online. In fact, the most influential brands are the ones that businesses that get involved in community efforts. These types of brands host events and offer services that help improve the people’s lives in their communities. As a result, they can gain a lot of attention for their brands in a very organic way. These brands are often the ones that begin to receive word-of-mouth recommendations from their customers. They are also the brands that customers usually associate with quality and excellence. This also harkens back to value alignment.
Getting started in this area doesn’t have to be challenging. You can begin by simply offering a discount to those who volunteer in the community. This is a great way to get people on board with your brand and build your reputation as someone who cares about the community.
5. Create Contests and Giveaways
Another great way to cement your brand in the mind of the consumer is through the use of contests and giveaways. These events allow customers to interact with your brand in a fun way. Most importantly, it offers your customers a chance to win something of value that has been directly promoted by your brand.
Contests and giveaways are a fantastic way to build excitement for your brand and get your name out in front of a lot of new potential customers. Make the rules simple, such as prompting entrants to tag a friend in the comments of your social media post. This way, even more people will see the post and entrants will potentially receive a high reward for low effort and stakes.
Conclusion
Branding isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s not a quick project that you can complete in a weekend. Instead, branding is something that takes time. It is the process of establishing your company’s identity and ensuring that all of your marketing efforts reflect that identity. While quality branding can take some time to develop, by following these basic branding steps, you will be able to create a successful and memorable brand that your customers will keep top of mind.
By Indiana Lee, BOSS contributor
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