BBB Business Tip: How to build a brand that will influence sales
Brand building is the key to growing a successful business that customers will not only revisit frequently, but that they will also introduce to people in their social circle. But building a brand that customers respect is not as easy as it sounds; it requires working from the inside out. Before you can build a brand that will influence sales, it's vital to understand why brand building is so important for your business.
A strong brand identity will make your company stand out from the competition. The best way to build a brand is to create a brand image that is unique for your target audience, one that is authentic and trustworthy. Approximately 81% of consumers say that they must trust a brand before buying a product or service.
As a business owner, you know that creating a brand is critical to your success. Here are five steps you can take to build a brand that will influence sales:
1. Research your market and competitors
The first step to building a brand that will influence sales is to conduct a competitor analysis to learn what other businesses in your space are doing. You can do this by searching for your competitors on Google and seeing how they are managing their websites, social media platforms, and sales.
Once you have this background, you can determine what they are doing well. Ask yourself what you can learn from them and what they are doing poorly that you can improve on.
If you haven't already done so, research your market and find out what your target audience is looking for. You can use the information you found from your competitors and target audience to help you develop your own unique brand that will influence sales.
2. Pick a focus
Once you have researched your market and competition, you need to pick a focus for your branding. This focus needs to be unique to you to help your business stand out.
When selecting a focus, consider the following questions:
- What type of value can you provide to your target audience?
- What will you do that no one will replicate?
- What is unique about your brand?
- What impact will your brand have on your target audience?
It's important to pick a focus that is specific and relatable for your audience. This will help drive sales, as you will be speaking to your audience directly in a manner they are familiar with.
3. Create a positive brand perception
Once you have chosen a focus, you need to ensure your brand is perceived positively. To accomplish this, you need to create an authentic and trustworthy brand built on a foundation of positive values.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What are your brand’s values?
- What does your brand stand for?
- What are the values that you want to promote?
- What are the values that your target audience respects?
Make sure that you are consistent with your branding and that your brand is aligned with your marketing and advertising. If your business operations are not in line with your brand, you will lose potential customers.
4. Socialize
The next step to building a brand that will influence sales is socializing your brand by spreading the word. You can do this by creating a blog, website, and social media profiles to promote your business.
Social media is a great way to socialize with your audience. Research shows that 73% of marketers believe that social media marketing effectively reaches their target audience. You can also use social media to start conversations with your customers, which will boost your engagement.
Blogging is also an outstanding opportunity to reach your audience, allowing you to share information about your brand and products.
5. Provide value to your ideal audience
The last and most important step to building a brand that will influence sales is providing value to your ideal audience in a way that they will trust and respect.
To achieve this, provide potential customers with the information they need to make an informed decision about your brand, such as answers to frequently asked questions and in-depth product information.
When you provide value to your audience, they will be more likely to trust your brand and recommend it to others.
Wrapping up
Building a brand that can influence sales is key to running a successful business that consumers will want to support and share with others.
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BBB of Southern Piedmont and Western N.C. contributed this article.
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