3 Key Elements to a Winning Brand Strategy

A good branding strategy includes one or two of the most important facets of your product or service, describes the purpose of your business and defines yr target customer. This plan creates a blueprint outlining what is important to your business and to your customer.

Creating a branding strategy is simple and should include the following key elements.        

1: Set yourself apart

Explain why people should go to your business instead of the other across town.  List all of the intangible qualities of your business using adjectives such as “friendly” or “professional”.  Your goal is to position your business in the customer’s mind so securely that they do not even think of the competition.

What will set your business apart? What words will come to mind when customers think of your brand?  These are important questions to ask yourself when defining your brand strategy.

2: Know your target customer

Once you have defined your business, start thinking about your ideal customer. This will include demographic information about your market but should also include actual customers who will work with you directly. Who is this person, and what does he or she want from your business? Knowing this customer is a vital part of your strategy.

3: Develop a personality

How will you show customers what your business is all about? Many small businesses write mission statements that say that they will “value” customers. Unfortunately, these words offer no action. Go deeper and think about how your brand will provide value to the customer. If you promise quick service, for example, what will “quick” look like practically inside your business operation? And how will you make sure service remains fast? These questions are laying the foundation of expectations for future employees in addition to creating the template for marketing strategies
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Your branding strategy should only be about one page and can even be as short as one paragraph. It all depends on your product or company. The most important thing is that these questions are answered before you launch your brand
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