Building a brand is one of the most important aspects of marketing. You’re creating an image or reputation for a product you will present to the public – that’s a pretty tall order.
One of the most significant things to keep in mind is that you are promoting something you believe in. This thought is echoed by author Cindee Bartholomew, who is an expert in self-publishing and branding.
“Be authentic. Be you. Be real. Be honest. Be bold!” Bartholomew says of creating a brand. “If you don’t believe in you, how can you expect anyone else to? Get the word out and keep your name where it is seen often. Contact bloggers. Develop a street team of loyal fans who will promote you. Advertise within your budget.”
There are 13 key components to building a successful brand: Leveraging the testimonial economy, creating emotive appeal, focusing on generating value for others, using the internal dialogue of your clients, being known for a specific niche, identifying and targeting your ideal client, consistency, understanding branding is not about positioning, finding the intersection, sharing your brand asset in a thought leadership campaign, authenticity, watching what makes your heart pound, and defining your brand’s DNA.
This sounds like a lot (and it is) but, by taking it one step at a time, you have the power to create a brand that sells itself.
The best way to start this is by asking yourself questions: What is my brand all about? What do I want to convey to the public? What sets my brand apart from others that are similar?
Being able to determine the answers to these questions will help you find the voice of your brand and your target audience.
This is where finding the intersection comes into play, as you want to develop a brand that is broad enough to appeal to a diverse number of people, while you don’t want it to be too broad that it gets lost in the shuffle.
While keeping all of this in mind, it is important to be communicative with your clientele should you make any changes to your brand that may affect their consumption.
Mattone Restaurant and Bar, an Italian-American restaurant in Chicago, has undergone renovations and menu additions. Owner Franco Francese stated that communication with his customers was the most important part of executing these changes.
“The biggest challenges have to do with how you respond to customer questions about the changes,” said Francese. “Being on the same page and communicating consistently across the organization can be difficult.”
Staff Writer, Taylor Leddin is a publicist and freelance writer for a number of national outlets. She was featured on Thrive Global as a successful woman in journalism, and is the editor-in-chief of The Tidbit. Taylor resides in Chicago and has a Bachelor in Communication Studies from Illinois State University.
