Five Strategic Steps To Improve Your Branding Strategy

Are you frustrated by a lack of sales and social media followers?

The problem may be your branding strategy. Before you start stressing out, popping Pepto-Bismol tablets like Tic-Tacs, and redesigning your logo and website, consider the following recommendations.

Brainstorm Why You Buy The Products You Buy

From gas stations to groceries, you’re probably loyal to particular brands, but why? Are they cheaper than those of competitors? Are they somehow more trustworthy than other brands? Do their Super Bowl commercials make you laugh or cry?

Once you’ve jotted down some reasons, reflect on what sets your business apart from rivals and how you’d like your customers to feel about your brand. As stated in Entrepreneur magazine, branding is all about connecting your company to the customer’s emotions and memories.

“A great example of this is Harley-Davidson ,” contributing writer Luke Summerfield writess in the article. “Harley has done such a phenomenal job building memories, emotions and a relationship with [its] audience that those audience members take on the ‘Harley rider’ persona and get decked out in leather, bandannas and even permanently tattoo Harley’s logo on their bodies.”

Nickname Your Clientele

With the foregoing illustration in mind, some articles have pointed out studies showing people enjoy feeling part of a group or community, so you may want to brand your customers. For example, inbound marketing and web design agency Savvy Panda calls clients “pandas” and sends newbies a welcome package filled with a stuffed bear, stickers and apparel. If that sounds gimmicky, contemplate the amount of money that Trekkies and Dead Heads have spent on clothing/costumes, conventions and other merchandise over the past five decades.

Advocate Your Brand Everywhere You Go

You pass dozens if not hundreds of people a day on your commute, at the gym, and in stores, so if you’re wearing Ralph Lauren Polo shirts or carrying a COACH bag, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Since starting YES TO, Inc., which makes various beauty products, co-founder and “chief carrot lover” (per his LinkedIn profile) Ido Leffler has worn something orange every day to promote his company.

“As a founder, you need to be your brand’s number one ambassador,” he told Forbes. “I do it because it makes me stand out, and it reminds me of where we started.”

Add Some Personality To Your Branding Campaign

Flo, the Progressive Girl, has appeared in more than 100 commercials since 2008, and she’s garnered nearly 5 million Facebook fans. Former Verizon pitchman Paul Marcarelli played the “Can you hear me now?” guy for nine years and told Time Magazine that he’s probably been asked to pose for more airport selfies than anyone else in history.

Considering such endearing – and enduring – characters, it may behoove you to think of your brand as a person. What tone and disposition does your brand present? Is it welcoming? Or is it off-putting?

“[F]or people, it’s intuitive and it’s rare that you even consider what your own character is,” said Dan Einzg wrote in the Marketing Donut, “but when you’re building a brand, it’s vital to have that understanding.”

Use Social Media To Improve Performance

Not only do Facebook, Twitter and other platforms enable companies to learn more about their target audience, they offer unparalleled opportunities to engage customers and get feedback, including tips for improvement. For example, when Virgin Atlantic discovered that its valued loyalty members were posting complaints about how many times they had to enter security information, the company created a secure opt-in service for them. And in response to suggestions, the airline developed an app that helps passengers connect to other people on their flight, so they can share a taxi to their destination.

In conclusion, building your brand doesn’t have to be painful. It just takes remembering why you started your company in the first place, a little effort, and maybe an occasional swig of Maalox.