Do you feel like you have a strong brand image for your business? Do you stand out in your marketplace? Do you connect and engage with audiences, effortlessly? If so, it sounds like you have your branding covered. However, if you’re struggling to tap into a new market, find it difficult to engage your ideal customer persona, or simply dwindle into the shadows of your competitors, it sounds like you need help with how to build a strong brand image.
Your brand image is very important. We cannot stress this enough here at Maxweb Solutions. It is how you’re viewed as a business, it is ultimately your reputation, your quality, your offering, wrapped up into branding guidelines.
In order to reflect a strong brand image, in order to be seen as credible, as trustworthy, as the type of brand your demographic desires, you must work to build a memorable, honest and consistent brand. Without insider knowledge, especially if you’re a start-up, this brand building can be a minefield. Yet, to ease your development process, here’s our take on how to build a strong brand image for your business, no matter its size, offering or position.
What is the importance of a strong brand image?
As we’ve shared above, your brand image is how you’re viewed as a business, whether that’s online, through traditional marketing, or even through word of mouth. It’s how you’re viewed for either the bad, or good. This can be detrimental to the success of your business, how easily you can achieve your goals, and how quickly you can make your mark in the industry.
With this in mind, the stronger your brand image is, fully representing your mission as a company, the stronger opportunities you will have to grow and reach your business goals.
Your brand image will have a direct impact on your success, in many different ways. From your ability to attract and retain the right customers, your ability to sell, your ability to become visible for the right reasons, your ability to collaborate with other brands, and your ability to last and build a legacy.
A strong brand image can transform the capabilities of your business. With this in mind, it’s important that you spend some time nurturing and developing your brand image. Here’s our tips on how to build a strong brand image for your business, whether that’s online or through tangible offerings.
How to build a strong brand image for your business
Here’s a timeline to follow to ensure that strong brand building can be achieved. This process can be followed whether you’re a start-up, developing your initial brand image, or whether you’re hoping to refresh your branding and identity.
Identify who you are as a brand
Before creating your brand, you must identify who you are as a company. What are you offering? Why are you offering this product/service? What differentiates you from other brands? Why do you trade? All of these questions will help you set your intentions as a brand.
Complete a SWOT analysis
Once you have an idea of what you hope to stand for as a brand, it’s important to know your position. You can gauge this by completing a SWOT analysis, measuring your strengths and weaknesses in comparison to competitors. Again, this can be completed with your threats and opportunities, helping to understand where you stand with your new brand image.
Identify who you are targeting as a customer base
The next step of building a strong brand image for your business is identifying your target audience. Your branding guidelines will be in place to attract your ideal customer base. With this in mind, the messages that you communicate, the fonts that you select, the colours that you choose can all either connect or disconnect your future customers.
Develop your brand mission and values
To develop a brand image business strategy, you must have your mission and values in place. This is what you stand for, what you support and what you’ll offer all customers moving forward. This will build the foundations of your brand image, before the visuals and creative steps commence.
Experiment with your tone of voice
A strong brand image for your business will engage with your consumers. You should experiment with your tone of voice, understanding which tone offers the greatest connectivity. Are you a fun-loving brand, opting for relaxed tones? Are you a corporate brand, requiring eloquent and professional guidelines? Whatever your vibe may be, it’s important that your voice can match this.
Inject your brands personality
Brand building should be fun, it should be creative. In order to remain memorable, to stand out, to engage with your audience on a human level, you should inject your brand image with personality. This will increase loyalty, engagement and trust with your target audience.
Create your brand guidelines
Once you have your foundations in place, it’s time to develop the visualise of your brand image. This will include your logo, selecting a font, selecting a tagline, selecting your brand colours. Your visual image will represent who you are as a brand, it will aim to connect the ideal customers.
Your brand image can also increase your memorability in the industry, along with recall. By developing strong branding guidelines, you’ll have a plan to follow across all of your marketing material.
Be your brand, everywhere you go
In order for other people to buy into your brand image, you must be your brand everywhere you go. It’s important that your brand image is consistent across all channels. Whether that’s your social media icon, your email marketing style, or your website design, all channels should fall under your guidelines.
In addition, to prolong a strong brand image, it’s time to advocate it. Share your branding, create associations, boost recognition and bring your brand identity to life.
Posted on Friday, July 24th, 2020 in Branding.
