Businesses throw around the words “brand” and “branding” all too often. But you can’t expect to build a recognized brand by throwing spaghetti at the wall (or, your logo out into the world). It takes work from the inside out.
In today’s day and age, a distinctive brand isn’t optional if you want to “make it,” and it’s going to take far more than a logo or slogan. It’s who you are and what people say about you behind your back.
What is a Brand?
Some people confuse their logo or slogan as their brand. Although these are small slices of the branding cake, there’s far more layers to consider. The “extra” oomph you put into building a brand is what makes the cake flavorful and memorable. For example, McDonalds didn’t become the mega-chain it is today because of the golden arches logo—the golden arches are seared into our minds because of who and what McDonalds is first.
Consider this: what do consumers, competitors and colleagues think of when they hear your company name? What would they say about you when you’re not around (if they wouldn’t say anything, it’s time to think about building trust and memorability with consumers. It’s never too late to start that work.)
Your brand should create awareness and recognizability. An effective brand lets everyone know who you are, what you do, and how you do it. In some cases, a rebrand is necessary. In others, branding was never part of the equation and you’re starting to build the house from the ground up.
Spaghetti that sticks
It takes time and effort to build a memorable brand identity in the minds of consumers. Imagine all the same billboards you see every day as you commute to and from work. Those business names, brands, and marketing messages have taken permanent residence in your mind. One day, they’ll rise to the surface (an indicator of successful, positive branding).
It certainly won’t happen overnight, but you can absolutely start to build your brand today.
- Start with your blog — Recently, we wrote a love letter to construction companies and why the blog section of their website deserves some love and respect—but the same applies to YOU, whatever it is you’re great at. Of course we’ll mention that we love helping businesses fill their blogs with quality content.
- Deploy in a handful of places — The content you created? Take it and DEPLOY it all over the place like pollination during the Spring. Social media and email marketing are just two examples. When your content spreads far and wide, you build the brand you’ve always dreamt of.
- Create gear — Our friends at Eagle Print Dynamics are masters in this area. Swag is one way to foster loyalty among “your people,” whether internal or external.
- NICHE should always be present — Finally, you could do all of the above and still get lost at sea. One way to combat “saturated markets” (if there is ever such a thing) is by showing the personality of your business.
Branding Through Content Marketing
It’s 2022 and people live to consume. Content marketing is becoming more relevant as time passes. Social media, television, and email marketing all fall under the entertainment, inspiration, or education umbrella (content marketing has three middle names, and it’s these three).
If content marketing is new to you, here’s what it covers:
- A refreshed, full, and informative blog section of your website.
- A thriving and engaging social media page.
- Email marketing that people want to read.
We could list hundreds more examples, just remember, content marketing is about relationships. And branding is best built through this lens.
“Doing it alone” is of the past. There are plenty of businesses out there that want to help you build the brand you’ve always dreamed of, and we’re one of them. Contact us today to pick our brains about what a strategy could look like for your business.
