Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business but as expected, it is never a walk in the park. Branding is a capital-intensive process, requiring both the human capital as well as the financial capital to be invested in it to ensure it reflects what the company offers and stands for.
Let us look at some great branding techniques.
1. Humanize your brand.
A brand needs to appear like a human and not a faceless organization. Humans like to deal with humans who understand their pain-points, appreciate their circumstances, and help them be better people. Let your clients see your brand as a person with a personality, traits, strengths, limitations, and a core value system. If they like the person they are dealing with, they’ll be happy to put their faith in you.
2. Develop a distinctive identity for your brand.
Just like a human, your brand too needs to have a personality. According to your interests, passions, strengths, and the values that drive you, you define your niche. Do your homework, and understand your clients. When you do that, you can plan on how you’ll deliver value to them. When your clients see that you care for them and their interests, you’ll form a bond that transcends business goals and needs.
3. Set yourself apart with your distinctive personality markers.
A brand is as good as the values it works by, and the principles it upholds. Identify the traits that best define your brand, and work to grow your brand in terms of those. When you do that, you acquire a persona and a voice, and your actions reflect your motives. The consistency in your brand image will help customers identify who you are, what you do, and how you can make their lives better. This start with something as humble as picture roller blinds and extend to projections on large buildings – it needs to be consistent.
4. If you marry your client, then you must fulfill your vows.
The idea is to be honest and self-aware about your strengths and limitations. Know what you are capable of, and only then commit to it. And once you’ve made a promise to deliver, try to deliver value at all costs. When you deliver exactly what you’ve promised, and continue to do that every time – you forge a relationship that will last a lifetime.
5. Stick to your niche, and retain your voice.
Your core values & your message should come across consistently. When you build a character with a distinct personality and preach your message, the customers who subscribe to your message will follow you. Be sure that your voice and message is consistent, and people will continue to listen. This establishes and strengthens your character, and helps your customers put their faith in you. When they come to you, they’ll know what value they’ll get.
6. Don’t be redundant – be a multi-dimensional person with many messages.
Just too many brands do the mistake of preaching the same thing again and again, which leaves the customer irritated, thinking, “Yes, we’ve heard it before a million times.”
Your core identity and your core message should manifest themselves in different forms. Deconstruct the idea to break it into several smaller pieces of a puzzle that fit together to paint the entire picture.
7. Match your identity to your scale.
The market and the customers value and respect a relatable character. Most of the brands are too big to make a connection with, and you can use exactly this to carve out your identity and scale it accordingly. Everyone adores a character that they can relate to, and the most relatable characters are the most human ones. When your brand has an approachable identity, clients are more inclined to admire and subscribe to your mission.
8. Be a small explosive, but dare to go with off with a bang!
Small brands have the flexibility of not being stuck with protocols and long-drawn processes. By choosing to be foresighted and self-aware, you can identify opportunities and make the best of them. Being agile and honest is the key here, as it takes courage to go against the grain and do something that most will shy away from. The will to experiment creates the scope for larger payoffs.
9. Deliver more value and then let the customers make an educated call.
Your brand and its success are always going to depend on the value it creates for the users. Choose to not sell short by engaging in gimmicks. A customer is always inclined to believe in you and go by your words if you bring them value. Choose to go all in – obsessively deliver value to your client, and they’ll follow suit.
10. Reel in your customers, and keep them on their heels!
It’s important to create intrigue amongst your customers. Tell stories that subtly give them a message, and then have them figure out the rest on their own. The idea is to make the process enjoyable, almost like a game. You first engage your customers with a valuable message, and then let them grow smarter and understand you better. This creates a connection on the basis of intellect and admiration.
