Branding strategy 101: Top tips for beginners

Branding plays a very significant role in the development of a business. It is the foundation that helps every business secure a strong footing in their market, regardless of the size or type of operations. Considering the intensity of competition in the digitally-driven market of the new millennium, a business must be capable of keeping up with the strong influx of changes in consumer interests and choices.

In simpler terms, a brand strategy is the map to Narnia that helps businesses project a strong image and brand perception in front of their target audience. It is the plan that helps you leave a good first impression on the customer and urges them to choose you amongst the hundreds of options available for their disposal.

It is a strategy that highlights your unique selling points and translates them into entrapments that attract and retain customers for your brand. It reveals the difference between you and your rivals in the market and is based on the specific goals and values you have associated with your business.

What is a brand strategy?

The brand strategy is the definition of the entire experience a customer undergoes when they come across your business online. From the store itself, to the products, ton, aesthetics, and even the the customer service, everything comprises of the strategy. the elements of a brand strategy are not restricted to brand names, slogans or logos. Instead it is the amalgamation of your brand ideology with the associative aesthetics, consumer psychology, and a lot more combined together to give you the best you can get from your brand story.

This comprehensive guide on branding is the ideal read for beginners and masters alike. Grab a pen and a notebook, because by the end of reading this article you will need to make a lot of notes to strategize for your own business.

Let’s jump right into branding!

Have a definitive plan

Planning ahead is the beat strategy for gaining long term success in the business landscape of the new millennium. You cannot afford to leave things on the mercy of chance and spontaneity when the stakes are so high. This is why, we suggest our readers to develop a business strategy that is well-rounded in terms of differentiation of your business.

You can start by making a list of milestones associated to the SMART goals for your business. And you have already climbed half the ladder of efficient strategy. The first stage of strategy development is critical for finding the right answers for measures of organic growth, priorities and allocation of resources. This strategy is the home ground for brand development and will lead to the story that becomes the impression of your brand.

Remember, Target did not become the American market place of choice over night! The red bull-eyed brand has strategies for this position over years!

Conduct comprehensive research

Completing a thorough research about the intended audience will help your brand sustain in the long run. Technically, the brand strategy is the road to reaching the audience and retaining their interest in the products being offered on your end.

While conducting research on your target audience, it is essential for you to develop a set of buyer personas that is applicable to the entirety of market segmentation that comes under your business. This can include lifestyle, interests, and consumption patterns. When you laser focuses on a certain segment of the target audience then you can easily achieve higher rates of conversion.

It is essential to note here that the modern consumers are never looking for a product alone. Instead, they look forward to the experience offered and the value added to their life at large. When a brand starts implementing this minute detail about the modern audiences, they master the art of brand strategy.

This is why, when a consumer searches for an online leather jacket store in USA they are not interested in purchasing a GTE jacket alone, instead they are mentally invested in the joys of adorning a leather jacket and riding a motorcycle like the bad boy from the wrong side of town, seen in the novels and films.

Develop your brand from scratch

Once you know what needs to be done and who the primary stakeholders are, the next step is to build the brand. You can bring your brand to life by capturing your vision into a productive strategy. This can include the values and beliefs that are close to you and the imagery they can create about your brand for the masses. You must have a primary understanding of the brand perception you want to project towards your prospects and then communicate it effortlessly.

You can think of yourself in the position of a marketer, working for a beauty brand. How do you see the brand connecting with the audience? What do you think is the unique differentiation found in this product that is not available in the sets by Kylie Cosmetics and Huda Beauty?

Once you start to answer such questions, you subconsciously start developing the brand story.

Prepare an emotional brand story

Storytelling is the foundation of brand development. This is why a brand story is often created through the amalgamation of numerous tools such as aesthetic and intellectual sensibilities to retain the attention of the target audience.

This is the stage where you can wax poetic about the greatness of your environmentally friendly methods of production for your organic beeswax candles and the ethically sourced stitching for your boutiques will help you become a crowd favorite!

The next elements other than copy writing are one site speed and layout. While the speed improves the user experience, the layout appeases the eyes of the consumer.

This is why we suggest our readers to be readily prepared for investing in good quality web copy and logo designs, as both of these elements define the nuances of the brand that will plastered across every platform!

Think of Amazon, can you imagine the brand without its smiling logo?

Final Thoughts

The key lesson here is to develop a comprehensive brand strategy that suffices for your brand to retain its meaning. If you do your research now, you will be able to succeed in every single aspect of brand strategy!