How to Build Your Brand With Quality Content
On April 29, 2017 a new color of the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 was released. Within minutes, the shoes were sold out. If you’re willing to pay $2,500 for a pair, several are now for sale through Ebay and other online vendors. Those devoted pre-order a pair paid $220… If you’re wondering if pair of shoes is really worth $220 you’re in the right place! For enthusiasts of Yeezy shoes, debating the quality and functionality of the shoe is irrelevant. The brand is the most important thing.
While it may seem strange to buy such an expensive pair of shoes, think about some of your most recent purchases. Unless you’re a budget shopper, you’ve probably spent a little more for a product because of the brand association. That’s right. You bought it for the image.
Small businesses probably don’t have a celebrity like Kanye to develop and push their products. Celebrity or not, branding is still essential for the success of a business. In fact, a visible and relatable brand matters as much if not more than the actual product or service you’re selling.
While another post of ours focuses on how you can market yourself, this post will focus on developing a brand identity.
Who Is Your Customer Base?
So you’re starting a business and you need a brand. Where do you start? We’ve found that businesses will be more successful if they can understand their customer base.
Think again about those recent purchases you’ve made. Why did you choose one product over another? It was probably in large part because of the attitude associated with it. People will by a product because of what it says about them, not the company. This is why people will pay a little more for “farm fresh” foods, or Yeezy’s, or for any premium product. Sometimes the product is actually better, but more often than not, the products are no different from competitors. The difference is the attitude and branding of the company. People buy Yeezy’s because they want to associate themselves with stylish people! People buy “farm fresh” or organic foods because they want to feel like they are helping the environment.
Each small business will have a different audience and approach to reaching them. So what will your brand say? Here are 5 questions to consider as you develop your company brand.
- Is your brand true to yourself?
- Is your brand true to your company values?
- What emotion do you want your customers to feel when they use your service or product?
- Quality aside, why will customers choose your service over a competitor’s?
- What niche are you marketing to?
Plan, Publish, Maintain
After determining the brand emotions, you need to paint a consistent picture about your company. This is not an easy task, but it will be worthwhile. If you’re this far into creating a small business, you’re disciplined enough to publish frequent content.
Where Can You Push Your Brand?
- Google Business Listing: This is one of the most visible areas of your business. While the format is standardized, your pictures and descriptions will help customers form positive opinions about your company as they search for you online. Check out our other article about the importance of a Google Business Listing.
- Social Media: You either love it or you hate it, but it’s no secret that social media is an amazing avenue for small businesses to reach customers. While it may seem daunting, there are many resources available to help you get the most our of your social media presence. JJUMPP provides detailed analytics about customer interaction through social media as well as the ability to schedule posts.
- Website: On your website, include a blog area where you can share success stories, product changes, and other meaningful content about your company. The photos, rhetoric, and information on your website will help customers connect to you brand.
- Emails: If it fits your company, an email subscription can help you reach your audience with consistent content. These emails can include updates about your products, links to other worthwhile content, images, or stories that all connect your customers to the emotion you’ve created.
There are many more opportunities! Each business has different avenues to push brand content. However you choose to market, make it consistent and meaningful.
You’ll want to publish content consistently. For some companies, that may be every day on Instagram or Twitter. Another business may find that a weekly email is enough to keep up with customers. Consistency is essential for your business to stay relevant and accessible in the eyes of the consumer.
Final Tips For Brand Content
Remember that customers chose your brand for a reason. It’s possible to scale a company while maintaining a grass roots local feel to the business. Other ways to develop and maintain your brand is by commenting on reviews, sharing success stories, and reaching out to understand the changing needs of your customers. Do whatever it takes to keep your brand personal and accessible.
Nothing will ever make starting and maintaining a small business easy. Additionally, no amount of work or strategy can guarantee small business success. However, your work in publishing exceptional content will go a long way in drawing new customers to you and solidifying your reputation as a worthwhile business in your field.
JJUMPP is the leading innovator in Online Presence Management. Our goal is to empower small business owners and enterprises with compelling and legible data, online consistency, and positive customer interaction all from one centralized place.
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