Your brand is very important when building a business because it will sky-rocket your product growth, and even your bottom line. However, many people simply don’t spend enough time understanding their brand, and what they can do to increase awareness. Even though, this won’t destroy your bottom line, it will definitely take longer to get people attracted to it. If you ask any business owner, they’ll tell the MOST important thing you can do for your business is build a “LIKEABLE†brand. When people love your brand they’ll be comfortable purchasing products, and services going forward. For example,
When we think of Donald Trump we think of luxury hotels, casinos, and condo’s…right? When we think of Apple, we think of innovation and excellent products with longevity. Your brand once marketed the right way can carry your business to a completely new level. However, it’s important you know how to do this to get optimum results because there is NO point in marketing if you can’t show any results.
Let’s get started, and go over some of the best ways to create a likeable brand online.
Your feedback and opinion will be greatly appreciated.
The Value Matters
Many people start purchasing products because they see the value it brings to whatever they are doing. This means it’s important outlining the value whenever you get a chance. As a matter of fact, this should be your number one objective going forward because this can translate into enormous revenue. For example, many of us try to get the conversion, and fail to show people the value, however this approach will destroy your business. Here’s why?
When you focus on conversions your still NOT securing the purchase or deal. Someone buys a product and/or service because they see the value it brings to their business or even personal life. We buy iPods because it helps us run longer since we can listen to the music we want. The iPhone brings everything at our finger tips which is important because it helps us run our business more efficiently. Using a word pressor makes it easier for content writers to get things written down with very little error because of the “review†tools built in.
Whatever the case, it’s important you always show people the value so they need to purchase instead of having a choice. The more they feel it’s too valuable, the more they feel they’ll need it in their life which will just increase conversions going forward. Next,
Here are some constructive ways to ensure this get’s done correctly…
Create a video – one of the best ways to show value because you can cover so much in a short period of time, and in great details. Video tutorials are way better then text because they are to the point, everyone understands them, and NOT everyone wants to read lengthy content.
Free Trial – Many of the top companies offer FREE trials so people can test out the product. I have bought so many after testing out what it can do for me. I recommend offering a FREE trial so people can play around with the interface pulling out the value.
Testimonials – A great way to show people the value is by having people who have used the product leave reviews. When others see what it has done for regular consumers, they are more tempted to buy in the long run.
Brand Engagement
You’ve noticed how many online businesses or even corporate ones are going out engaging with people marketing their brand. It’s because people love to buy a product or service which they are familiar with, and know the people running the business. This is why corporations like Apple, Coke, IBM, Facebook, and others all throw huge events to promote their brand. The more you are physically engaging with people, the more momentum you can build. You might be wondering how this can apply to your business online…right?
Facebook.com is an online business, and they still throw events to engage community people. Same with aWeber.com (I’ve been invited), and this has helped them build a connection with me because I’m still a customer till today.
Here’s the point I’m making:
Your going to have huge competition in your niche so it’s important you build a strong relationship with your customer base. A personal relationship can be the defining factor between you, and your competition.
Here is one of the MOST cost effective ways to do this right now:
Make sure you have a comment box on your website or blog because you can answer questions as they are written. For example, anytime a product or even content is written, you are going to have people leave comments, it’s important you answer all of them. This way you are clearing up a debate or even providing more information on a product you are promoting.
In the end, it’s important you build engagement with your brand because people will appreciate your business more if there is a face to put with it. Many companies work from the front end, but you never really find out who the person is behind the brand. This can backfire as people still don’t feel comfortable when buying going forward.
Understand The Changing Tides
One of the ways people destroy their brand is NOT utilizing some of the key marketing channels they have available. Everything is constantly changing because technology is moving very fast so it’s important you keep up to date with all the trends. As marketing changes people start using other platforms to find information, and if you don’t market your brand on any of the new ones, then your brand becomes obsolete. This means it’s important you are always up to date with how, and where you should be marketing your business.
Here are some things to keep a close eye on which I’ve noticed:
Content writing – The way we write content is changing so fast that we should incorporate the new strategies as they become popular. For example, recently the usage of long-tail and LSI keywords is very important because these help attract people to your brand. The more people you can attract to your website, the better for your brand.
Networking – This is very important these days because it’s all about getting your product in front of people. I’ve noticed social media has made everyone more valuable so people are looking to network to promote. Do some serious outreach, and connect with others in your niche who are willing to promote your brand. Remember, this does work both ways, so make sure you know what you’ll be offering in return.
Video Marketing – Think about how much marketing is done on YouTube.com? You can post a video showcasing your products, and this can generate enormous buzz to your business. However, you have to ensure you use the tools to get videos done, and don’t wait around because your competition will steal your audience.
Changing Your Brand
The most successful brands are always changing as time goes on, and this has allowed them to keep their customers while attracting new ones. If you look at Apple, for example, they have always introduced new products, and been able to conquer the tech world. It’s this ever changing progress which allowed them to come back from almost going bankrupt a few years back. Steve Jobs new survival has to do with giving your customers what they are looking for, and making sure you stay ahead of your competition. With that said,
What are some strategies you can use to stay ahead of your competition, and change your brand?
First, I would research my competition, and find out how they are changing the products we share. I always look at email service providers because you have so many of them available. What I’ve learned is that one will make progress, and the others will soon follow. I believe they all research each other finding ways to improve their product while NOT falling behind.
Next,
Pay close attention to products and services which reflect your brand or are relevant. For example, when I build a computer I’ll always pay close attention to what new hardware is available to add. The same can be applied to your business by looking at how advances in technology can help create a better product. Tech companies use this approach all the time. They’ll add:
- The newest processor
- The newest motherboard
- Better display
- And others
In order for people to continue to like your brand, it’s important you continue to change your brand so it’s attractive. The more they feel it’ll provide value, and make their life easier the more they’ll stay loyal to your brand. However, many businesses fail to stay ahead of the changing trends when it comes to the products they develop.
Incorporate Consumer Opinion
Always collect feedback on your products, and make sure to incorporate what your customers are saying. In the end, your products are going to be purchased by those who find them valuable so when they provide feedback it’s usually a great way to improve your brand going forward.
You’ve noticed every time you buy a product you’ll have a survey to fill out about your experience…right?
This is because companies understand the value provided by their customers, and how this can help increase the bottom line. People buy your products, and the less they buy the bigger the IMPACT on your profits. I encourage all of you to send out a survey to your customers or even readers asking them about ways you can improve their experience. Once you have gathered all the results, it’s important you implement what they have said. I would start from the MOST common, and move down the list then ask new customers for their opinion to see what they suggest. You’ll notice over time you have tided all the loose ends together.
Final Thoughts
In the end, it’s all about finding what works for you, and what doesn’t. Companies spend millions of dollars building their brand, and much of the money is spent finding ways engage the customer. The more you engage them, the better for your brand.
For example, when a customer “LIKES†your brand, it increases:
- Profits
- Longevity
- Value
- Momentum
- Retention
- Acquisition
If you haven’t started to implement these strategies, then you might want to do the following:
Start by going over all of these strategies again, and start to implement them into your brand. The key is to do this ASAP so you can start to track the results. It’s only when you start tracking the results, you’ll be able to find out what optimization strategies you should be sticking with. It will take some time to implement all of these strategies, however going forward you’ll be able to increase brand “LIKEABILITYâ€.
The strategies you ultimately use will depend on the type of niche your involved in. Some will work better then others, however building credibility for your brand is very important to keep growing as a business.