Every successful business has a powerful brand image. Building a strong recognisable brand will help to connect with existing customers as well as expand on the customer base.
In today’s online environment there are numerous ways in which a business can build and grow their image. Below are some of the best marketing tools a business can use to increase their brand image.
1. Determine Your SpecializationÂ
It is virtually impossible to cater to every market or type of customer. It is important to find your niche and offer a product or service to a specific target market. Think about potential solutions to a problem that consumers face or perhaps provide a product that is in demand.
Catering for example to students on a budget makes a lot more sense than catering to everyone on various budget levels. Narrowing the field makes it easier to find the target audience.
2. Humanize Your Brand
Consumers are moving away from large generic brands towards brands that are more relatable and personal. People connect with stories and experiences so don’t be shy to share interesting facts about your business with the world.Â
Consumers will be more likely to identify and support the brand if they can find something they can relate to.
3. Use Clever Marketing Tools
Social media platforms have become one of the most effective ways in marketing businesses. With millions of people online every day it is easy to see why companies use social media marketing strategies to reach their target audiences.
There are a variety of popular marketing tools to use such as:
Search engine optimization (SEO)Â
Improving the quality and quantity of web traffic to a specific website from search engines. Unpaid traffic is targeted as opposed to paid or direct traffic. It can also increase a websites position on a search engine results page.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)Â
A process where data analysis is used to determine the most effective way a business communicates and interacts with its customers. There are numerous CRM software applications available that can assist a business in the analytics.
Video MarketingÂ
Creating video content to encourage customer engagement. Video marketing can also grow brand awareness and loyalty through deepening relationships with customers. There are tools available that can measure the engagement and effectiveness of video campaigns.
Social mediaÂ
Using social media platforms to promote the business and its products or services. Examples of social media marketing are:
- Content creation
- Advertizing
- Influencer marketing
- Paid media
- Social media management
Vanity Phone NumbersÂ
A phone number that is made up of a specific sequence of numbers to create a memorable word or phrase. An example of a toll free vanity phone number is 1-800-DAYCARE which would be relevant for a business providing daycare services for children.
A vanity number can be purchased through a variety of vanity phone number service providers. Number generators are online tools that can be used to check if a specific number is available.Â
4. Hire a Professional
A professional graphic and web designer can help a business to grow its brand in the right direction. A website, advertising material and social media profiles that are outdated or generic can make a business seem unprofessional or uncaring.Â
Looking at websites and marketing material of competitors in the same industry can give some insight into the current trends.
5. Consistency is Key
As a business grows and expands its footprint it is important to keep the brand image consistent. Not only can consistency provide an increased ROI by creating trust in the brand, it can also make a brand seem more credible.
Brand consistency must not only be applied with marketing material, but a business must also keep their core values and messaging it sends out consistent.
A Few Final Notes
There are many ways in which a brand can increase its brand awareness, but a starting point is to have a clear marketing strategy which outlines the goals and how to achieve them. Brand awareness consists of brand recall, brand recognition and brand dominance. All of the above mentioned points can help a business to grow their brand image and ultimately their business.
