It's hard to know where to start when you're building your brand. How will you get out there and be seen by your potential customers? Read on for 7 tips on how to start building for that all important brand recognition.
1. Make your presence known.
Participate in your social networks – particularly where your clients are hanging out. Let people get to know you and what you stand for. If people don’t remember who you are, then they won’t re able to recall your name when they need that product or service. Get known in the right circles for what you do.
2. Work on your brand voice.
Make sure that every post or communication you put out there sounds like it's coming from you. People like to know where they stand, and are unsure of the unknown. Be consistent with your messaging so that people know 100% what you stand for and what they’re getting when they invest in your product or service.
3. Build up word of mouth.
Referrals are everything in business, so make sure you're doing everything you possibly can to knock your clients’ socks off and the word of mouth will follow. If everyone you worked with recommended you to just 2 people, you’d have exponential growth. People love to follow what other people are doing, so if everyone they know is using your services, chances are, you’ll be top of their list when they need that service too. Social proof is so important so get those reviews and testimonials out there!
4. Work on your online presence.
Can you be easily found online? Take steps to address this. Register for Google My Business, collect reviews and work on your SEO. Start by trying to get known for your industry in the local area. Does your business show up on Google or do you have to hunt for it? Are all your social profiles consistent, with the image they portray and the messages they put out?
5. Get known in your local community.
Register and turn up for local networking events, chat to local business people. Build your real life network – other businesses will be in the same boat and actually be really keen to support each other. Not so much if you go in expecting to sell all your stuff – but aim to build up genuine connections and the sales often follow naturally. As people start to know, like and trust you, you’ll become the obvious choice for them.
6. Share your products and services with your customers.
Potential customers want to see what you've been up to, your latest work or news. Make sure you're regularly posting to your online platforms and keeping people up to date. It doesn't look great when a potential customer looks at your website or social media, and the last time it was updated was 3 years ago. Worst case, people will assume you've closed down!
7. Be nice!
It costs nothing to be nice in this world, and no one likes an arse. A bit of kindness and helpfulness can go a long way and will help you be remembered for all the right reasons. (Note, that doesn't mean work for free. Do yourself a favour, and never do that - unless it's a cause close to your heart.)
Written by Emma Venables at Emma jayne creative.