The current market is changing. The brand no longer means a logo and business cards. The brand signifies how your business lives and breathes. Social media and the internet are the 6,000 pound Juggernaut (forget the gorilla) in the room right now… and using the web for all it’s worth is of greater importance now than ever. Learn how to put all that fancy stuff on the web to good use to really make your brand stand out.
What does branding mean in today’s market?
20 years ago, “branding” focused on appearance. Now, your target demographic is smart decision makers. Not that they weren’t 20 years ago, but now information is so readily available that it’s much easier to be an extremely educated consumer. Now, branding is all about true value and emotion. Branding is all about communicating the true impact you can have on the lives of others through your services or products. Branding is all about proving that your target demographic should not only want it… but need it.
Why is branding so important in today’s fast-paced world?
Branding is important (perhaps more than ever) in modern times because of all the additional avenues of exposure available to you. 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, no business had the ability to get in front of their target demographic 24/7 like they do now by using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, iPhones , smartphones and other various media. Your target demographics can now be fully immersed in your brand if they choose.
Once again, consumers are expert decision makers in today’s world, and because of this, they expect the companies they deal with to be expert decision makers as well.
How can you improve your brand presence…immediately?
There are a few ways you can immediately impact the perception others have of your brand.
1. Create a Twitter account and use it…often
Simply creating a Twitter account and getting involved with Twitter can help increase your brand awareness. But don’t create an account just to say you have one. use it Be involved. The more effort you put in… the more your potential customers will notice. Use it as a means to understand the demographics of your target. Use it as a means to help educate them. Use it as a way for them to see that they should not only want what you provide… but need it.
2. Create a Facebook fan page
For the same reasons as above, you should start a Facebook fan page. This will help others take notice of your brand and you can use it as a daily communication source to inform others about current events within your company or use it as a means of education. Establish yourself as an expert in your field…because you are. Creating a Facebook page (and a Twitter account) will help drive traffic to your website, which leads us to…
3. Create (or redesign) your website
If you don’t have a website… get one. Now. Businesses cannot survive today without an online presence. However, if your site is outdated, redesign it. Consumers don’t want to see that you’re still stuck in the 1990s or have animated GIFs on your home page. Consumers want to see that you take yourself seriously…because you want them to take working with you seriously. Talk to a professional design service to shape or redesign your web presence. Get it right from the start so you don’t waste time, money, or worse, damage your brand’s reputation.
There are many more aspects involved in branding, but these points above just mention a few that you can start working on right now.
In upcoming articles, we’ll discuss topics like logo design, print media, and other tips to enhance and develop your brand.
