Who’s got time to think about branding with a business to run?! Well, you do, if you follow these steps.
Too many businesses decide to think about their brand image only after many years have gone by and a brand sort of "happened" by accident. But if you wait until then, you may just be slapping a coat of paint on a real issue -- what you need is to think of your brand and an individual, as your partner. Who would it be? What's its personality? What would it look like? What's the right attitude?
So how do you do this? Carefully, slowly and efficiently, so it’s painless and strategically on point. Below are our 4 tips on how to construct your brand while you build your business. (Already built your business and looking to rebrand? No problem, what you need is a brand analysis to see how you can cohesively enhance your current brand.)
1. REBRAND YOUR WEBSITE One element at a time
Before you decide to blow up your website and change the whole thing each time you have a new idea about your brand, take a step back and think about what you want your brand to look like a few months down the road. Websites need updating, that’s a fact of life. But an overhaul of your website isn’t going to change your inherent brand.
Every day, take a quick scan through your website and identify one opportunity where your brand could use improvement. Sometimes this is a small tweak, such as changing a background image, the color of a CTA, or the headline of a page. Other days, however, you may suddenly realize your navigation bar is haywire and decide to reorganize your website for a more intuitive user experience.
One inch every day adds up, so continue scanning your website and eventually you will have a honed brand built by small cohesive decisions over the course of months or years. The end product will be superior to anything you could’ve done all at once and it will be more closely aligned to what your brand is really all about.
2. Enhance and expand your brand THROUGH YOUR BLOG
Many owners think that adapting a headline can change their brand. But rebranding takes more words than that.
Oftentimes, the best and most read content is your blog, so use this method to unveil your new direction. Unsure of what exactly to write? Try blogging about a current obstacle your business is dealing with. Talk about the process you’re using to solve the problem and the steps you’ve taken thus far. Maybe your customers will reach out and offer solutions? Then go back and update the blog with how you solved the problem and overcame the obstacle.
The best brands are founded on authenticity and originality, and what better way to showcase this than through a genuine blog written in the owner's voice? It may surprise you just how much an inconspicuous piece of content will resonate with your audience and customers. It may also surprise you how this one example of transparency could lay the foundation for a brand value going forward.
3. START WITH YOUR PRESENTATION DECK
Let your presentation deck act as your whiteboard; it will be on the front lines with you along the way, and chances are it will be one of your most edited pieces of content.
Keep a running tab of all the ways you use your deck to describe your business and pitch your products or services. After awhile, these notes will accumulate into a sizeable brand brainstorm. It may also show you how your own idea of the brand has evolved over time and shed light on perspectives you may have forgotten.
4. CONTINUALLY HONE (and own) YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION
A business’s value proposition is one of the most important brand building blocks. Think about it as your one key differentiator; the one unique thing that separates your business from your competitors.
Your value prop may not change from day one, or it may change numerous times in the first few months. This is normal. But don’t underestimate how much your value prop should impact your brand and influence things like tone, visuals, which online sales channels you use, etc. Think about your business’s value proposition as the keystone of an arch; everything about your brand should stem from it. The trick then is to never lose sight of that key differentiation between your business and the rest of your industry and market.
We hope this helped. Reach out to a MassMonopoly marketing expert if you'd like to dive into how we can enhance your brand and business, after all, it's never too early to start thinking about your long-term brand.
