Weall know how difficult it can be to make a brand identity which stands out,particularly in a crowded or competitive market. Many sleepless nights go intomaking a successful business, and a huge part of this comes down to effectivebranding which works to grow your business over time. These pointers will getyou on the right track to making your brand work for you.

1.   Stay true to your customers

Don’ttry to please everybody, aiming your efforts at your target market. Trying tocreate a brand which appeals to everybody is impossible. From products tobranding and even the colours used in marketing… you will never make decisionswhich please everybody. For this reason, you need to follow cliché advice and “just beyourself.” Know your USP, understand what you want to promote, research whatyour target customers like, and do this.

2.   Be desirable

Presentyour business in the best light possible. From having a website which functionssmoothly and doesn’t have any mistakes, to having team members attend meetingsin suits, there are many ways to project industry-leading ambitions.

3.   Talk about what you do

Createa blog which demonstrates that you know about the industry and that you lovewhat you do. Creating evergreen content which won’t become outdated andincluding imagery and good SEO techniques will work to make this beneficial foryou, also driving traffic to your website.

4.   Use social media

Youdon’t have to spend money to have effective social media. Talk about the thingswhich make your brand stand out. Show your logo with pride and share positivecustomer reviews. Tap into conversations which link your brand with trendingtopics and don’t forget to use your brand tone of voice across all channels,keeping messaging consistent.

5.   Keep your brand consistent

There’snothing worse than when a brand uses inconsistent branding across channels.From out of date logos to different slogans and inconsistent messaging, theseare easy ways to look unprofessional and deter potential business.

6.   Make amendments where required

You’renot stuck with branding once it’s been put into place. Over time, the mostsuccessful businesses adapt, but be careful to implement these changes instages so customers are not disappointed or driven away overnight. A greatexample of this would be Apple who make slight changes to most iPhone updates.If they made very drastic changes to the point the display was completelyunrecognisable, it would cause customers to be frustrated and perhaps disloyal.As such, you should do regular audits and update content to keep up with theindustry.

7.   Add a personal touch

Don’tbe afraid to add a personal touch, putting customer service team members’ namesafter tweets, interacting, responding to emails, personalising experiences andcontacting them on their birthday.

8.   Keep it simple

Don’tover complicate things. Begin with a simple website with clear branding and addnew additions as time goes on. You don’t have to have a state-of-the-artwebsite from day one. Be clear with your brand positioning and your values,stating them openly wherever possible.

9.   Have friends in big places

Lookto interact and partner with well-established and reputable brands, creatingcampaigns which will help you reach a larger audience wherever possible. Thiscan be done through guest blogging, or even reaching out to LinkedIn contacts.

10.  Get creative

Buildbrand awareness through innovative campaigns. You can do video or audiocontent, launch a competition, create paid ad campaigns and giveaways or designa series of infographics.

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In summary

Creating and maintaining a strong brand identity which appeals to your target market does take time and can be a case of trial and error at times, but with persistence, careful planning and a strong vision, it’s completely possible to grow your business quickly.

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