Ian
It’s brand conscious world.That explains why organizations spend time, effort and money on branding.
The popular going goes, ‘It’s a new brand world’. Get it? Nike has managed to make everyone who matters to them recognize the swoosh brand logo. People think more of phones and Macs than about the humble red fruit when they hear the word, ‘Apple’. That is branding. Irrespective of how wonderful your product is, branding is important to stay in business.
It is a misconception that only the Apples and Nikes need branding. No, every apple and orange needs branding. Building a brand called YOU is the need of the hour.
Digital marketing makes it easier to build and market a brand. Face it, anyone can have a website. Anyone can have a product. Everyone has an online presence. How do you know which sites are worth visiting? How do you know what is worth buying? Answer: Branding. The sites you go back to are the sites you trust. A brand is about recognition, familiarity, and trust. That comes in handy when you dabble with online stores and you don’t meet the buyer.
How do you build the brand, YOU?
Send good marketing emails. Do you ever open emails from senders who have names and IDs like, ‘efdfot@gmail.com’ from gd4u@xyz.com? That’s step one. Do everything to sound authentic. Make sure your marketing emails don’t scream ‘marketing’. Don’t send them straight to trash!
It’s an equal world for everybody. You are every bit as important as a Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop. Ask yourself the question: What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Answer in 15 words or less. Read your answers. Several times. If you don’t sound convincing to yourself, write again. Points to consider? Identify the qualities or characteristics that make you distinctive from your competitors. What have you done lately to make yourself stand out? What would your customers say about you?
Compare brand YOU Vs. brand XYZ. See if you include their strong points and work towards it.
Work on improving quality. Your brand will build all by itself. How do you go about it? Keep your promises, deliver on time, take feedback, act on feedback and be nice to customers.
Forget designations in your organization. Ask yourself who does what. Give people the credit they deserve. Ask yourself if you are doing your bit. Personal branding is equally important. When it comes to personal branding, there is a lovely saying that makes much sense: don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle. Make yourself and your brand visible. Participate in the right events. Pitch in wherever you can and want to sell.
As an online retailer, you should perhaps identify the right sites to partner with. That speaks of your brand.
