Whether you’re already running an ecommerce business or planning to start one, having a solid branding strategy is crucial. A great brand will make a shopper click “buy,” while a bad one could mean losing them forever. Here are the six branding tips we urge all entrepreneurs to consider:
Tip #1. Make Your Brand Story Unique
What makes your products and services different from the competition? What sets them apart from everything else out there? More than the quality of your products or services, it’s going to be your brand story that makes the difference between buyers clicking “buy” or moving on to the next thing. You have to be different.
Tip #2. Understand Your Audience
We have said it before – it’s important to know who you’re appealing to and what they want. But how do you achieve that? One way is by reaching out to your audience and ask them what they would like from you and your brand.
This way, you will know what is working. Working with your audience lets you know exactly which aspects of your brand consumers enjoy most. This will help you improve your campaign and help you determine where you should focus your energy and resources to maintain a strong customer base. Every campaign has its good and bad points, but it will be easier to identify what works when you work with the people who know your brand best.
Tip #3. Show Personality
Your business should be a reflection of your personality. Your brand should be just as unique and authentic as you are. One of the best ways to do that is by creating a “personality” for your brand. A personality can be defined as your brand’s attitude or characteristics.To define a personality, make a list of adjectives that describe your business.
It’s important to make sure that these traits are positive and differentiate you from other brands in your niche. For example: if you have a general online store, you could choose adjectives such as friendly, helpful, creative, and funny. For a furniture business dealing in unique safari-style furniture, you might choose adjectives like bold, adventurous, and exotic. A specific and distinct personality helps draw in new customers. Shoppers want to interact with brands that offer unique experiences and stand out from the competition.
Tip #4. Build A Culture.
If you hire only one new person this year, make sure it’s someone who aligns with your company’s values. Your company is about more than sales growth and profits; it’s also about the day-to-day experience your employees have when they walk through the door. Your office culture is just as important as the product you’re building, if not more. It’s crucial to your employees, customers and the future of your business.
Tip #5. Keep It Simple
- Keep it simple: First and foremost, you need an easily identifiable logo. The simpler the logo is, the easier it will be to remember. You should avoid using more than three colours and try to keep it monochrome.
- Create an impact: Make sure to use large banner images that can be seen from a distance; make sure they are high resolution and eye-catching. Make sure to use your logo prominently, if possible, on your signboard too. Click here to order banners and signboards for your business.
- Use bright colours: Bright colours are not just for kids and holidays. Imagine a picture of two logos – one is black and white, and the other is brightly coloured. Which one seems to have a lot more energy? And if you were to show those pictures to your customer, which one do you think they would remember?
Bright colours don’t just make your logo stand out; the use of colours will help you attract customers. Making sure your logo pops out enables you to be remembered by potential customers more easily and helps differentiate you from other stores in the market. Nobody remembers the middle of the road. Put some artistry in your branding and make it memorable.
- Hire the right branding agency: If you are not a branding expert, take professional help. Trusted professionals will do it right and won’t let you down. Inexperienced and untrusted designers will only give you bad designs. Hire a well-known agency that has a good track record of producing attractive designs for companies in your industry.
Tip #6. Dont ignore social media marketing
If you think you can get away from social media marketing, you’re wrong. Social media is one of the best means today for businesses to reach out to potential customers. Today, there are a lot of people using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Since most people are already on these platforms, why not maximize the opportunity by starting your business page? You can be sure that these social media sites have provided many businesses with a great opportunity to grow their business.
Tip #7. Think About The Future And The Road Ahead
The success of a brand will depend upon its continuity and longevity. A great brand should always think about the future and the road ahead. Ideally, a brand should generate value for its customers and for other stakeholders over many years. If the brand has a long-term vision, it will be able to deal with various changes as they take place in the marketplace. It is not just enough to think about tomorrow. Think about the future and what you want your brand to be in five years or ten years from now.
Final Thoughts
Branding is essentially a promise you make to people. It’s why Apple’s big, shiny logo (along with the simplicity of its products) holds such power: it’s a guarantee. Apple sells a positive experience, and people pay for the privilege of using our products. The visual aspect of your business has a long way of reaching out to the customers. Your company’s brand identity is one of those aspects.
