Question: I used to think that the issues related to brand management were only for large consumer marketers. How important is it for my Cape-based service business?
Answer: One word. Vital. Your brand is what resides in the mind of every buyer that defines your organization about whether they will want to do business with you in the first place and then if they want to do business with you again.
If you are landscaper and you show up on time, do the work for which you were contracted, meet person-to-person with the customer to assure them you are focused on their needs now and in the future, your brand will live well to get another contract.
To have an awesome brand according to www.machwebsolutions.com, you have to focus on your organization’s goals, not the tools that are available to it to promote the brand.
Try these hints to building an awesome brand:
Define your business objectives and create a unique selling position that differentiates you from other organizations in your segment, i.e., painting contractors, landscapers, chimney sweeps, and breakfast shops. If you can define how the conversation between you and the buyer takes place to achieve top of mind awareness and thus business, you can position your brand effectively.
Hire a team that is passionate and committed to the values that define your brand and empower them to communicate your brand through their actions. Do all that it takes to make them one team, not internal and external vertical groups.
Develop a strategy for your business that breaks down the goals into actionable pieces. If you are launching a new offering, decide what are the elements of your promotion campaign, i.e., direct mail, email blasts and personal letter to current customers announcing the new offering’s launch. Then, create a schedule of when you will execute the elements of the campaign and lastly, how will you determine what elements worked so you can repeat those tactics.
Be a lifelong learner of your industry. Stay on top of what is happening, so you can be of added value to your customers. Read your industry websites, blogs, newsletters even books. Network with others in your industry segment to learn from them in meeting their customer needs.
Use the 80/20 rule of brand management. 80% share other people’s stuff, 20% share their remarkable experiences. Be among the 20% that differentiates you and your brand
You can build and foster the growth of your brand if you: feature people experiencing your brand, acknowledge the awesome, hold events, help others, be human and give back.
The last elements of building a brand into awesomeness are to measure and analyze your efforts. Once you have determined what worked and what didn’t, you can fine-tune your brand strategies.
Effective brand management is all about mind share. Be proactive about managing your brand with both current customers and potential buyers.