8 Steps to Brand Success

04 Oct 8 Steps to Brand Success

It seems as though everyone has something to say about branding, online marketing, and business success these days.  And, with a heavy reliance on social media and web design, branding has certainly taken a different path in the last decade.  At the end of the day, creating a name for yourself in your industry is integral to your future success.

So, let’s break down some of the most important steps along this innovative and effective path to branding:

1- Figure out your strengths

Being in charge of your own business allows you to really focus on what it is that you’re good at.  Highlight the skills that set you apart, give you a competitive edge, the tasks that you love to do, and showcase your talent.

2- Generate a unique brand name

Choosing a brand name is just as important as choosing a logo design for your brand.  There is a fine line between choosing a name that is unique enough to not forget, while still being simple enough to remember.  “Being found” is one of the most sought after desires of any emerging brand, and choosing a brand name has the power to make this happen.  You ideally want to be found and not be mistaken for another similar brand.

3- Go the DIGITAL distance

Creating an effective digital space for yourself is one of the most important things you can do in your branding process.  One of the best ways to begin building this online presence for your brand is to create social media accounts.  Everything from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram are available to you for marketing in specific ways.  You can target various niches via all of these platforms, which gives you an edge to utilize as many you can effectively.

4- Create a Website

Now that you’ve created social media space for yourself, you need a website to send your avid followers back to.  Think of your website as your digital hub.  Possessing all of your brand’s most unique and up-to-date content, your website is the greatest source of brand information.  Regardless of how tech savvy you believe yourself to be, managing your own website is really quite easy with a content management system (CMS).

5- Build a sharing schedule and be consistent

Your social media platforms exist for your ability to share helpful, effective, and marketing-worthy content.  You should create a schedule for your brand upon which you share this content for followers.  After a while, fans of your brand will come to anticipate your awesome content, which is why your consistency with the sharing schedule is paramount.

6- Utilize Sites like Hootsuite

It’s safe to say that aside from building your brand’s online presence, you have a business to run.  So, scheduling posts on all of the social media platforms is not really convenient.  Sites like Hootsuite are your savior, as they allow for you to schedule posts accurately and with consistency, without having to physically be there and publish in a time-sensitive manner.

7- Ask for constructive criticism

Seeking help, advice, constructive commentary, and encouragement from authorities in your niche (or anyone you respect) is always a helpful tool in branding.  By gaining outside insight from real-life people you admire, you’re opening yourself up to invaluable feedback that can only benefit your brand.

8- Keep it REAL

Even though it’s 8 on the list, being GENUINE is and always should be your priority with regard to branding.  If you’re not going to be true to yourself, prospective fans, followers, and clients are going to sniff that out faster than you might imagine.  Being genuine is much more respected than any stuffy, contrived image you might concoct.  So, keep it real.

Branding is not a one size fits all strategy.  In fact, it varies uniquely cross each industry and business.  If you’re looking for a way to bolster your campaign, keep these steps in mind when building or refining your brand image.