We’re trying something a little different here with a living blog post of branding and marketing tips.
Instead of only adding monthly blog posts (which will certainly continue), we’re collecting branding and marketing tips here. This is short-form. Quick thoughts, observations, and advice about branding, positioning, and design for business owners and marketers. We’ll add a new installment every week until we run out of things to say, which will likely be never. If you see something you like, hit the share button. If you have an idea for a post or just a question, drop us a line.
It’s in there. Do you see it?
Way deep within your brain and surrounded by the cerebellum and cerebral cortex, there’s a system of interconnected structures called the limbic system. This is the part of the brain that’s responsible for behavioral and emotional responses.
That’s where love and hope blossom.
It’s where your fears and anxieties are formed.
It’s also where your brand lives.
Your brand creates a unique frame of mind that only you can own.
Are you doing enough to ensure that your brand occupies the right space?
Here’s a little secret that’s not so secret.
Your competitors? They see marketing as an investment. They don’t see it an expense. They’ve prioritized it as essential to building awareness and gaining market share. In fact, many of them put their marketing plan in place before hiring their first salespeople.
Polls have shown that former CEOs often concede that, if they had to do it all over again, they would “invest more in marketing.”
By under-prioritizing your marketing, you could be undermining your business.
Of course, you should always spend wisely and measure the results. But try not to view marketing investments solely as expenses, no matter how those controlling the purse strings frame it.
Don’t determine your budget without first determining your priorities.
Priorities are what turns expenses into investments.
Hey, small business owners, there’s a villain out there and it’s coming for your brand. But it’s not who you think it is.
Unless you’re very careful about how you use AI for your marketing, you could end up neutralizing your brand instead of enhancing it.
Remember, you are the only one with your world experiences. You have a unique way of doing things that benefits others. Those add special value that distinguishes you in a positive way from everybody else.
People should be willing to pay a premium for it.
But your over-reliance on AI for your marketing is not projecting premium. It’s projecting DIY. And DIY is not good enough.
Great brands aren’t built on “Good enough.” And settling for it can become your brand’s greatest villain.
You deserve better.
It takes time to build a first-rate reputation. Don’t let second-rate marketing undo it.
People are talking about you
behind your back.
What they’re saying to others after you leave the room?
That’s your brand.
It’s shaped by your ability to consistently uphold the promise you make to them and do so by default.
It’s fueled by your ability to always be there for them, make them part of the story, and evolve with them.
It’s measured by their willingness to pay a premium for what you offer, return for more, go on record about their experiences, and refer others.
Put simply, your brand is what people think of when they hear your name, especially when you’re not around.
This is all 100% within your control.
This is what brand loyalty looks like.
What are you doing to build, reinforce, and maintain Brand Loyalty with your customers?
Did you choose a Brand Identity that is eye-catching and easy to recognize?
Do you have a Brand Promise that is authentic, relatable, and realistic?
Are you using your Brand Voice to creatively get your message out? Are you doing it frequently and consistently? Has it resonated?
Does your audience share your values and know what you stand for? Are you speaking to them in their language?
Are you distinguishing your brand from your competitors and making a compelling case why you’re the ideal choice?
Are you offering a Brand Experience that makes consumers willing to welcome you into their world?
Are you developing meaningful and emotional connections to your market to secure a long-term relationship?
Are consumers going out of their way for your brand? Are they referring others?
This is what Brand Loyalty looks like.
Think Apple, Starbucks, and, yes, Harley-Davidson.
There’s no reason why you can’t have the same level of customer loyalty.
Check out our infographic “Seven Stages of Achieving Brand Loyalty.”