5 tips on how to build your brand

What is a Branding?

The word brand is derived from the Old Norse word brandr meaning ‘to burn’(1) and refers to the practice of people ‘burning their mark’ onto their products, and giving them the right to claim ownership over the products or goods.

 

During the Industrial Revolution the increase in choice for consumers meant companies needed to stand out against the competition. Trademarks were introduced for companies to protect their goods from copycats and rivals.

 

The 20th century saw huge shifts as newspapers and television drove the rise of the advertising industry. The competition for companies to reach larger audiences brought branding to the forefront of consumerism.

 

Today every product, company or even individual in business is expected to have a brand. But don’t worry, branding does not happen overnight. It evolves over time as your business grows and you build trust. However, there are steps you can take to set your business apart.

A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.

– Seth Godin

5 tips on how to build your brand

1. What is your story? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What is it that you do? Why do you do it? What lead you to this point? These are all questions you can answer in your brand story. Stories give a brand a personality and provide a strong connection for your audience. Customers go where they feel they will be understood and stories are a good way of showing them you do.

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2. Define your USP⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Having a strong USP sets your business apart from everyone else who provide the same product or service. There are different ways of approaching a USP but the best way is to think ‘what is my customers problem?’ and ‘how do I fix that problem’.

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3. Brand Message⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Write a clear sentence about who you help, what you do and finally why. Your brand message captures your story and USP in a few sentences or even words. 
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4. Who is your audience?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you don’t know who your audience is how will you target them? Make sure you know them inside out. Write out customer profiles; age, gender, job, location, single/married, kids etc. The more details you have the more you will understand who your audience is.
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5. What do you offer?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Make your products / services clear. Don’t be everything to everyone, focus on your strengths!⠀⠀⠀⠀

Having a strong brand is half of the battle of marketing. If your product or service has a clear brand message you will find it easier to communicate the problem you solve and reach to your target audience. 

Related topics

The difference between a brand, a logo and an identity

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