Whether you’re starting a small business, or you’re looking for new marketing strategies to give your business an edge, brand development is something you simply can’t afford to ignore.
You probably already know about the importance of building a recognizable “brand.” If you’re looking for ways to make your branding more successful, brand development is the first step.
Today, we’ll be discussing the concept of brand development, why it’s a vital part of any ongoing business plan, and a few tips on how you can start developing your brand today.
What is brand development?
Brand development is a term used to describe the processes a business takes in order to clarify, publicize, and strengthen the company’s brand image. Brand marketing processes can include:
- Clarifying the business model
- Understanding the ideal customer profile
- Clarifying and strengthening the brand’s positioning
- Creating a clear messaging strategy
- Streamlining the style of all media and content output
- Creating a specific brand personality for content
- Tracking reception to the brand
The brand itself can encompass anything from the personality of the business’s content to the look and feel of the company logo. Essentially, it’s the part of the business that its customers can associate with and connect to.
The importance of a brand development strategy
Having a clear brand development process in place is pretty much essential for any effective marketing team. There are a few reasons why it should be one of your top priorities.
1. Stand out from competitors
It can be difficult to distinguish yourself from other businesses. In fact, according to Oberlo, there were 4.35 million new business applications in 2020, so competition is getting steeper and steeper every year.
By clarifying your business with a unique brand image, you’ll be more likely to make a lasting impression on potential customers.
2. Draw in your leads
With a vibrant, clearly defined brand voice and personality, your content will instantly improve. This means that when potential leads come across your marketing output, they’ll be drawn in by those extra little details that make your brand special.
3. Build stronger customer relationships
With a clear brand, you’ll find it much easier to build bonds with your returning customers. Having a well-developed brand gives customers the feeling that they are not just buying from a business, but that they are buying from the individuals who created that business. In turn, this sense of human connection means loyalty and return purchases. As Fundera found, 89% of consumers are loyal to brands that have similar values to them.
4. Become an authority in your niche
Consumers like brands they can trust. Building a strong sense of brand will help you to establish yourself as a credible, authoritative voice within your industry.
How to create a brand development strategy
Looking to improve your company’s approach to branding? Here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Begin with your business objectives
Ask yourself: What are you hoping to achieve with your business? What problems does your product solve? What kind of business do you want to be?
2. Be clear about your target audience
Ask yourself: Who is most likely to want your product? How old are they? Are they a specific gender? Are they from a specific geographical location? What are their values and ideals? What are their hobbies? And so on.
3. Define key aspects of your desired brand
Once you’ve asked yourselves these questions about your brand, begin to define your brand with specific adjectives and qualities. For instance, if you want to be a friendly business that attracts young single moms, your brand should reflect this by being “approachable,” “understanding,” “feminine,” and so on. You may even want to create a brand voice and image that reminds your customers of a helpful sister or friend.
4. Run tests to check that all of your content is “on-brand”
Look back through your previous content and check your website. Does it match the brand adjectives you decided on? If not, you may want to remove it or re-create it in a more brand-cohesive way.
5. Incorporate your brand specifics into all of your content
Make these brand adjectives a key part of your content strategy. Every email, blog post, and piece of copy on your website should incorporate it.
Summing up
Building a recognizable, authoritative brand takes work, time, and commitment. Without a clear plan in place for your brand development, you may find that your company’s brand image becomes poorly defined and unpredictable.
We hope this guide to building a clear brand has given you some ideas on how you can create a brand that works for you.
Sources:
https://www.lucidadvertising.com/
https://www.advertisingweek360.com/brand-development-vs-branding-yes-theres-a-difference/
https://hingemarketing.com/blog/story/a_10_step_brand_development_strategy_for_your_professional_services_firm
https://www.activecampaign.com/blog/brand-development
https://www.fundera.com/resources/brand-loyalty-statistics
https://www.oberlo.co.uk/statistics/how-many-new-businesses-start-each-year
https://stevens-tate.com/articles/brand-development-process/
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