Building an online business today involves proper branding and messaging. Your company’s brand is arguably the most significant factor in why your business retains customers. It differentiates you from competitors; the values your brand espouse are important to your audience, which is why they patronize your products and services. 

If you have a brand management strategy, you convey to stakeholders, suppliers, customers, and clients that your company is serious and can be trusted.

Why do people trust companies with good branding?

Consumers are attracted to brands with excellent reputations. This is one reason why companies like Apple and Samsung thrive despite having so much competition; they are known for making quality mobile devices. People will go for a popular brand’s product when put side-by-side with a relative unknown, on the strength of reputation alone. 

Furthermore, branding translates to corporate affairs. People routinely apply for jobs with well-known brands, even if these don’t pay higher than unknown companies. Whether you’re trying to influence people to choose your company or recruiting top talent, managing your company’s brand will help you make a favorable impression. Here are a few ways to do that.

Find the best channel for your message

Choose a communications vehicle that you’re sure about, and can reach your target audience. Hire someone else to craft messages for channels you have little experience in handling, or skip ones that you don’t enjoy using. If marketing through a certain medium becomes a chore, you won’t use it often and your efforts become counterproductive.

Some common channels for campaigns include trade shows, online advertising, broadcast and print media, professional displays, direct mail, and consultants. You should use a mix of these to help you reach your goals faster.

Use new media for your marketing

On the other hand, some marketing channels (like social media) are so prevalent that you should at least know the basics of producing content on these. Building a brand on social media is a must these days, no matter how big or small your business. People congregate online; if you find an organic group of users, it’s as good as having a direct line to your consumers.

Social media lets brands speak directly with followers. It’s all about building relationships and paying attention to your prospective customers and their needs. You should participate in conversations, reply to direct messages from customers, and keep up with what people are saying about your business on the internet.

Stay on top of people’s minds

In economically challenging times, you might feel pressed for ideas on how to maintain your audience. After all, it’s easier to convince someone to use a product or service when they aren’t worried about their future. It’s difficult to maintain a presence in hard times, but it is possible. One way you could do it is by leaning into your network. Your local Chambers of Commerce, professional contacts, and even suppliers might have leads. 

Being active in local charities, holding free or discounted webinars, and hosting giveaways are all good ways of keeping people interested in your offerings. Webinars, in particular, help you in several ways. For one, you get to establish authority. Second, you promote the company as a thought leader in your niche. Third, your webinar gives you the chance to promote your other products to an assembled audience.

Be aware of what others are doing

Managing a brand requires consistency in messaging. If you maintain a certain look and tone, it becomes easy to reinforce what you stand for. You can also do a same-different analysis of your competition at the brand discovery phase. After this, you can do just quarterly or biannual check researches. After all, it’s not your goal to match your competition; what you must focus on is carving your own space and making a name for yourself.

Conclusion

When building a brand, you should prepare for lots of work. Your message will not get out on its own; you have to push it yourself. Your brand message should be simple, consistent, and in line with your existing reputation. When you have branding like this, it is bound to stick.

If you need more insights, you can avail of Skill Builder Pro’s course on managing your corporate brand online. Skill Builder Pro helps company executives learn or refresh workplace skills through self-directed courses. Get in touch with us to learn more!