Are you considering your branding development in the context of the global Corona Virus pandemic? It’s a great time to be thinking about how you can get your business noticed.
Branding is the most important part of your business’s image: It’s about your entire philosophy and ethos as a company, not any one particular product you sell or any one marketing channel you use.
Here’s everything you need to know about brand development strategies and how to develop a brand in 2020 and beyond.
1. Get Those Backlinks In
Backlinks are an increasingly important part of your branding. These are the websites and new sites that link back to your main website or your Amazon page where you sell your product.
If you want to increase your backlinks, you need to think about who your target audience is and what sites they visit. If your product or service is targeted at those under the age of 25, you will need to target sites like Buzzfeed or Vice. You could also think about video gaming bloggers.
Remember not to overlook your own blog and to think about your tone of voice and the message you are trying to send out. This is all part of branding, as branding isn’t just about images and text.
2. Up Your Social Media Game
Your social media game is important. Always be sure to be active on all social media platforms. Use an adapted version of your logo on each site if there’s only a small profile picture slot so that it doesn’t look crowded.
Think about what social media platforms your audience uses and adapt your content for them. But also prioritize. If your audience is younger, they are more likely to be on Instagram.
But there is an increasing trend for the older generation to make more use of Facebook. Pinterest, on the other hand, is a great place for designers and illustrators, as well as fashion lovers, to hang out.
Linkedin is great for business-to-business and corporate chat, while Twitter is the platform for ideas and opinions.
Think about how to use each platform. Instagram and Pinterest are mainly image-based, whereas Twitter and Facebook are heavily text-based. The latter two are better for sharing longer statements, and Instagram and Pinterest should focus on photographs with text kept to a minimum.
3. Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is another way you build up your brand. This is harder to do in the lockdown age, but it works in the same way.
You tell your friends and family about the services or business you do and then ask them to shout about it with their friends and relatives. This can be done over Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp rather than in person.
If you have a client who is happy with your work, get them to shout about you to their friends as well, and after a while, you’ll have a business that is growing at an exponential rate.
Remember, though, that the best businesses and the ones that are easiest to shout about are the ones that have a strong and solid brand. People who come to your business should be able to understand your concept straight away.
Events are a great way to boost your brand and provide plenty of opportunities for people to spread the word about your business.
4. Consider a Re-Brand
The pandemic can be a great way for you to consider re-branding. However, there’s no need to go overboard.
Only rebrand if you need to, but with everyone sitting inside all day, your business is now digital-first. This means almost all of your customers are going to engage with you online first. Your logo and message should look good online, not just for print.
When rebranding, be sure to do some market research first. Speak to your existing clients to gauge their opinion about your brand and how they feel about it. Get them to fill out a questionnaire.
Also, seek out new customers and ask their opinion of your business or services at the moment compared to how they feel about your new ideas for logos or how you are going to change your brand.
Establishing why customers don’t like your brand is just as important as understanding why they do, so be sure to interview customers who say they wouldn’t use your services.
5. Hire a Consultant
Be sure to hire a consultant if you are considering a major rebrand. A consultant will be able to advise you on what works and what doesn’t work.
Consider what your budget is for consultancy work. Some firms will charge less, but their services might be limited to one or two meetings to discuss your brand.
Some consultancies might have more experience than others, so they will justify their high price based on the brands they have worked with. You need to decide if that additional experience is worth paying for and whether you are at that level where you need that input yet.
If you are looking for a brand consultant, this website is a great place to start for some brand development services.
There Are Many Brand Development Strategies
There are brand development strategies you can follow, but the best ones are created by experts that you can hire.
They will oversee the consultation phase with your customers and advise you on any potential rebrands that you might be interested in. Budget for a branding consultant carefully, deciding upon how much value you are going to get out of the people you are hiring.
If you are interested in reading more about branding tips, be sure to check out the rest of our site.
