Whether you’re a small business owner, an artist, or any other type of entrepreneur, there is one thing you absolutely must have to make it in today’s crowded, clamorous marketplace: A unique, compelling brand that makes your product or service leap out above the competition.
Consider the brands that speak to you, whether they’re large corporations like Apple or your favorite neighborhood coffee shop. They each have a certain “something” that keeps you coming back. You can relate to them. You feel they can relate to you. And even if they’re slightly more expensive than their competitors, you don’t care—because part of what you’re paying for is the chance to engage with their one-of-a-kind brand.
So. You’ve got your product and service, but now you need a brand identity. How do you create one that will personify your business and really resonate with your customers? Here are a few of the major steps to keep in mind:
Always picture your “ideal” customer. Who did you design your product or service for? Men or women? Young or old? Conventional and classy, or a little cutting edge and risqué? Take the time to envision your one true, ideal customer, and keep them in mind whenever you make a decision about how to present your brand. Speak directly to them. Use language they can relate to. Create a style and design they will find appealing.
Envision the experience you want to provide. Brands reach customers by engaging with them—through social media like Facebook and Twitter, through blogs, through local promotions and events. What do want your customers to experience when they interact with your brand? Do you want them to feel invigorated, relaxed, inspired, comforted? You can evoke those feelings with every element of your brand, from the colors you choose for your logo to the materials you use on the chairs in your restaurant. Every aspect of your brand should wrap your customers up in one cohesive, compelling experience, and it’s that experience that they will remember and, hopefully, want tell all their friends about.
Be willing to be unpopular. I love the book The Power of Unpopular: A Guide to Building Your Brand for the Audience Who Will Love You (and why no one else matters) by Erika Napoletano (affiliate link). As the firecracker voice behind the popular blog Redhead Writing, Erika knows how to build a fiercely loyal fan base. And her secret boils down to a saying you’ve probably heard before: “If you try to please everyone, you wind up pleasing no one.”
Meek or wishy-washy brands don’t get noticed—and they certainly don’t win fiercely loyal clients. Whoever your ideal customer is, you need to be willing to answer their needs, nurture their trust, and speak to their innermost desires. And as a result, there will be plenty of people who don’t connect with—or who even (gasp!) dislike—your brand. So be it. Those are not your true customers, and your true customers are where the money’s at.
In Short
Your customers’ attention is being pulled in so many directions that it takes a real presence to get them to even notice your product or service, let alone to win them over. The key to building a brand that sells is to build a brand that speaks. Know who you’re speaking to, pull no punches in doing so, and you’ll find yourself with a brand that engages and grows.