The beginner’s guide to creating the perfect brand strategy to grow your biz!
What is a brand strategy and why do you need it?
Now more than ever, motivated entrepreneurs are launching their small businesses and going digital. While big corporations and establishments are put to a halt due to the global pandemic, the online marketplace is ever-growing. Now that the digital marketplace is buzzing with different products and services from different industry niches, the hardest part is staying afloat and standing out from the vast competition.
If you’re reading this branding guide, you’re probably interested in starting your business or leveraging your business to scale. So you’ve tweaked your logo and your business name multiple times. You’ve been posting consistent ads on social media to get your business out there and, you’ve probably even resorted to paid ads. After all that effort, you feel that something is missing. Your business need isn’t a design change or a top-notch logo to attract customers; what you need is a brand strategy. If you’re feeling stuck trying to grow your business and scale, it’s not because your brand colors aren’t sitting right; you need a brand strategy with explicit knowledge of who your customers are, where to find them and how to create the right messaging to speak to them.
This guide is here for you if you:
Have the products and services but can’t seem to reach the right customers. You don’t see the growth you’ve expected.
Your brand’s content seems scattered and incoherent.
You have too many big ideas but can’t execute them.
What is a brand strategy?
Before you start a business, a brand strategy is the building block to the following steps before you launch. You’ve probably have gotten excited because you’ve perfected the services or products that you’re selling, and that’s okay; it’s not too late to start with your blueprint. So what exactly is a brand strategy? Here are the top components you need to know before mastering that customer-forward strategy:
Market/Competitive Research: Before you can start with your strategy, research is vital. Your decisions in your industry will be based on your research. What are the brands in your industry doing? How are they doing it?
Target Audience: Naturally, when you start a business, you want to get as many sales as possible. When it comes down to it, knowing your ideal target audience is essential so you can identify where your customers are, what they’re purchasing, what problems they are facing, and how you, as a business owner, can solve those problems.
Brand purpose, values, and promise: There is more to selling products to a customer because everybody is doing it. Building meaningful relationships and customer loyalty is also a considerable part of a successful brand. How can you resolve your customer’s problems, how can you answer any questions they may have, and most importantly, what can you promise them to keep them returning and telling their friends about your brand? Sum up your brand’s core values in a clear and concise brand statement that checks all the points that we have just mentioned. Your brand values will be the golden rule in everything you do moving forward.
Brand positioning and differentiation:
After doing your market research, it’s the perfect opportunity to fill your brand strategy gaps. What exactly makes you different from the brands in your industry? Brand positioning and differentiation define your unique selling point and how you can offer the same product or service differently.
Brand voice, messaging, and tone:
When a customer makes a buying decision, they usually opt for the brand that speaks to them; in terms of relatability, relevance, and personalization. We all want to do business with a brand that’s warm, inviting, and provides excellent customer service. Defining a cheerful brand voice sets the stage for your customer service and customer relationships moving forward. Your brand messaging should be consistent in all the content you produce online; make it memorable!
How to jumpstart your strategy!
The basic outline of the brand strategy may seem a bit overwhelming. You might not nail everything right away, but you will have the confidence and clarity in growing your business once you do.
At RAVEN + CO., our personalized discovery sessions are catered to business owners who are looking to fill in the missing gaps of their personalized business branding blueprint. It is perfect for business owners who lack time and have a handful of priorities to deal with or small-business owners who are just starting. We take time to discover who you’re products and services are made for, how you can find your unique selling point, and most importantly, how you can stand out from the vast competition.
The best way to jumpstart your strategy is by answering these important questions while you’re in discovery mode (these questions are the core of your business strategy):
“Who am I?”
This is the core question when defining your brand’s voice. You should be able to tell your clientele about your business and what exactly you do. They should be able to know through your personalized branding.
“Who does your business serve?”
Knowing exactly who you’re speaking to in all your messaging will help you understand what you need to communicate to your audience to convert them to paying customers.
“How is your business going to have an impact?”
What is your business’s fundamental purpose? What inspires everyone in and out of your organization to do what they do- and why do they love doing it?
If you know your business’s purpose, you can use this to write down your brand’s core values.
These questions will be the ultimate guide when starting your blueprint. Before you continue expanding your e-mail marketing list, publishing another social media post, or paying for a promotional ad, a brand strategy must be put into place. Your brand strategy will save you time, effort, and costs. Instead, it will help you attract the right customers to your products or services and help you accomplish the goals you have for your business.
NEXT STEPS
Now that you know what a brand strategy is and what is needed for your business, it’s time to make it happen! And lucky for you, we created personalized brand discovery sessions, customized brand blueprint templates, and training courses to help walk you through the stages of developing that concrete brand strategy that works. Save the headaches and endless google searches. We break down the brand discovery process into bite-sized pieces to help with the big ideas you want for your business to succeed.
Book a complimentary discovery session today
www.ravenandcompany.com/consultation