Why is smart branding, so important?
We absorb more information in less time than ever before, in fact more in a day than we used to in a year. There is so much noise out there with over 347,000 tweets per minute, over 144 million emails sent every minute, more than 4 million Facebook likes per minute and over 2 million google searches per minute how does anyone stand out from the noise?
So how do you make your brand special? Well, you need to know 3 essential factors, that will make all the difference.
3 keys to smart branding.
1. Stand out from the crowd
2. Get noticed and keep that attention
3. Convey the emotion of your promise
Be Different
Discover your differences and embrace them and in fact flaunt them. Make sure your design and images convey this message. Your copy and language should raise the emotion you want in your client and that your social media presence and of course your website is congruent and demonstrates so with your content.
Ensure your difference does not sound the same as your competitors. I am sure you have specialities that make you different that make you, your brand special. But be authentic, don’t just be different for difference sake, be special be smart.
Make sure to tell your prospects what your difference is, how your brand, your company is special. If you do not tell them, two things happen, either they will simply not notice, or worse still, they make up their own version which inevitably will not be what you are wanting to convey. What is different about you, your company, your product, your Brand? Importantly, what is different that the customer will care about and will want? In other words you are not just, as I said earlier, being different for the sake of being different. You have a difference that is something special to your particular clients or customers.
Research, what do you competitors do, what do they convey and most importantly what do they Not do, what is missing? When you know that you have your difference that will make a difference.
Think – What is the problem that your prospect has that you can solve?
Be the difference that makes a difference.
Get Your message across.
Once you have stood out you have been noticed, next you need to keep their attention. You do this by getting a message across that your customers can not ignore. You may have great communication channels and be able to reach twitter audiences in the 100’s of thousand or a blog that goes out to thousands of followers, but what is the point if no one is listening. If your message is not important to your prospect then they will not hear it. Worse still they do not engage or interact.
So getting a message across that your prospects can not ignore, means having a specific message to a specific prospect and not a general message to everyone. Be smart with your message and know your client and talk to them only. You will know if you have achieved this because you will get interaction.
You can and will be heard even at a whisper if what you are saying is of interest and filling a need.
Branding is all about making an impression – the right impression, the first time, with the right emotion. Branding is about being thorough, it’s about continuous connectivity, so that you retain and entertain your client.
Every time you connect with a prospect or client, every single time you should convey your brand and make it outstanding. On email, direct mail, packaging, website, products, content even thank you notes. Review every point of contact – every time you connect you should be conveying your promise. Be congruent and consistent.
Remember it is not about you it is about them – your clients, dreams, aspirations, wants and desires. It is about how it will make the feel, about how it will change their life for the better or enable them to achieve more. Clients will only buy your product because of what it can do for them. A great buy is one that makes them great.
Don’t be average be exceptional
Be distinctive, be better be funnier be cooler, brighter, smarter, sexier, even whackier, always be more than your competitors.
Look over everything connected to your brand, is there anything that is “average”? If there is simply change your perspective and treat that part that is average as a stepping stone to something better. Then one at a time pick the average and change it into something exceptional and remarkable. Soon you will have an exceptional brand and be doing exceptional things.
Also rid your life of the word enough never just be good enough, or have just enough, if you use the word enough to do with anything to do with your brand or product you are not doing enough you are settling for mediocrity.
Stop and change, always strive for the best giving your best to your clients, having the best product, serving the best and offering the best. It is simply not enough to be enough!
All the leading brands have a difference, they evoke a response from their clients, an emotion and they never settle for enough, they are always string to be the best.
Just think for a moment about Apple, what did you see, what did you think and feel? the same goes for Nike or even McDonalds! Yes for me that last one raises really negative thoughts of pink fat and a smell of fat frying, Apple brings me the colour white, beautiful design, innovation and I want it! and Nike fast fun colours, the tick and feeling better afterwards. I am sure your feelings, sight, sounds and smells will be different and some the same but all will evoke something in you and all are memorable.
So don’t be ordinary and do the same or be the same as everyone else or you will be just another snowflake in a field of snow, be the flower that pushes through the snow and offers up nectar to the bees above.
These keys have helped clients earn millions, by them developing a compelling promise, by being the difference that makes a difference to their clients lives. By standing out and being visible, being heard and impossible to ignore. Offering what their clients need.
Make this the way for your brand.
Remember what makes exceptional business brands exceptional is the action they take.
P.S If this has given you food for thought, feel free to share.
P.P.S If you are struggling, let's help click here to arrange a 10 minute consult
