Brand – your added zest

Branding, like marketing, is something that is often over complicated.

First it’s a set of symbols – your logo, it may be a slogan and your design scheme. Then it’s about experiences that extend far beyond these symbols … your customer promise, what you stand for, your values, your ideas, and your personality. It’s the way you behave, package your service and answer the phone. It’s the delivery van and how the driver interacts with your end customer.

If your brand is strong, it can make you stand out from the crowd. It should be seen as one of your most valuable assets … which means you need to love it, nurture it and protect it.

Traditional

Nothing beats word of mouth. It’s low cost and powerful. Write a list of people you know and tell them what you are up to.

Set up a simple referral system. Offer your customers something in return for giving you one or two of their contacts they think may be interested in what you do.

Networking. Get out and meet people. Listen to what they have to say, ask questions, gather information and offer help and contacts.

Business cards. Get them to stand out. Make them a talking point and keepsake.

Well researched cold calling. Understand your target and what might make them tick. Don’t be too pushy.

Press relations. Find newsworthy stories of interest. Have a reason to develop a relationship with target journalists.

Advertising, trade shows, special events. Don’t start unless you have lots of money.

Marketing pack. A simple guide to what you are about that you can hand to customers, new recruits, trade associations…taking the effort to put one together can often set you apart.

Digital

Your web presence … a good one is essential.

Without one, you will never know what you are missing. With a poor web site, you will also never know what you are missing.

Is your website providing you with the right return on investment?  Do you know who is visiting it?

Where do you appear in search lists? Do you know what people are searching for? When did you last update your site? Can you update it yourself?

The internet is an amazing place but you have to know what you are doing to make the most of it. Once you are set up it’s usually a fairly low cost to maintain.

Planning

Plan your communication routes, define budgets, timescales and allocate tasks.