7 Steps To Establish A Strong Brand

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Establish a Strong Brand|7 Steps To Establish A Strong BrandWhen you run a business it’s crucial that you develop a memorable brand. In a world of similar products, your brand makes you unique. To create a strong brand you’ll need a solid strategy to make progress. These seven tips will help you to create a brand that drives success.

1 .Target market research

If you want to establish a strong brand you’ll need to conduct plenty of target market research. You’ll need to figure out who your audience are, how old are they? What are their interests? What are their values and their paint points?

The more that you know about your target audience the easier it will be to create a brand that they will engage with. You can conduct research using a number of methods, from email surveys to in-person groups. It’s vital that you create detailed buyer personas to help inform your branding decisions. Building a brand based around your audience is the key to becoming successful.

2. Research competitors

If you’re keen to establish a strong brand it’s important to research who your competitors are. Look at their product and find out what their unique selling points are. Take a look at the content they produce, and analyze it. Competitor research is all about finding information that you can use to your advantage. You’ll want to figure out what you can do better than your competitors. Thinking about this will help you to create a stronger brand.

3. Establish key messages

It’s vital that you establish your key messages, what do you want your customers to know about you? What’s your mission, and what are your values? When you’re figuring this out it’s worth thinking about your sense of corporate social responsibility. Customers prefer to choose brands who are socially responsible, (particularly brands that care about the planet).

4. What’s your brand personality

Creating your brand is all out determining your brand personality. If your business were a person, what kind of person would it be? Some brands are eccentric and quirky, others are friendly and cute. Your brand might be serious and formal, or casual and laid back. You’ll need to communicate your personality in a number of different ways, from your logos and website to the content you produce.

5. Brand story

Creating a brand story is one of the most important aspects of brand creation. It’s about telling the story of how your company came to exist, and more importantly, why it exists. You’ll want to think about the problems you’ve faced, and also why your audiences need your product. How does your brand contribute to society? How would you sum up your overall mission? When you’re creating a brand story, you’ll need to think about these key questions.

When you’re figuring out your brand story you’ll need to refer back to your target market research. Your audience needs to be a big part of your brand story, everything should circle back to their desires and values.

6. Work with a design agency

Developing your brand means choosing a logo, creating design work, and branding materials that represent you. To create the perfect branding materials you’ll need to work with a design agency. Such agencies can help you to create your packaging, your photography materials, and your brand identity. Design agencies can also help you to work on your branding strategy, from brand positioning to portfolio.

With the support of a professional agency you’ll create a brand that you can be proud of. All of the biggest companies in the world drive success because they have excellent branding. To remain competitive it’s important to develop your strategy.

7. Ensure consistency

Developing an amazing brand is all about being consistent. You’ll need to represent yourself in the same way, across all platforms and channels. Your content will need to have a consistent tone of voice, and your materials should follow a certain look and structure. You’ll need a detailed social media strategy, to ensure that you’re sharing the right type of content. With consistent branding you’ll ensure that your brand can always be recognised. Being recognised is the key to online visibility, growing your audience and driving website traffic.

Developing a strong brand takes a process of trial and error. Once you’ve performed plenty of research, you’ll want to brainstorm and analyse a few different ideas. Using these steps you’ll soon create a brand that drives results.

How Different Marketing Strategies Can Boost Your Business Profile

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Marketing Strategies|How Different Marketing Strategies Can Boost Your Business ProfileRunning a business requires a lot of energy and time, so ensuring you try and keep on top of everything will be important as a business owner. Marketing strategies form a significant part of this so utilizing this to your advantage will be necessary if you want to remain on top of all of your business needs.

Which Strategies To Choose?

There are a variety of business marketing strategies that you can use if you want to be business savvy and really boost your business profile. Examples would be:

  • Online social media content, such as posting on social media platforms.
  • Providing short video tutorials.
  • SEO (search engine optimization)
  • Email marketing
  • Printed advertorial content in magazines, newspapers, brochures and billboards.

Allows You To Expand as a Business

The primary reason to use marketing as a business strategy is that it enables you to expand your business. Ultimately the more successful you can be and the more revenue you have coming in, enables you to develop and expand your business. This is what is going to enable you to succeed. Without a marketing strategy you will not be able to attract new consumers who will then be spending money on your products or services.

Enables You To Reach Out To a New Audience

When you need ways to boost your business profile and accessibility then you can find influencers to help you draw in more revenue. The positive about influencers on social media nowadays is that they have the ability to reach out to an extensive worldwide audience. Within minutes a post that they have shared could accumulate hundreds of thousands if not millions of views and likes. As a result they could advertise your business brand within a very short time period, bringing you plenty more customers.

Provides a Platform To Advertise Your Products and Services

Utilizing different marketing strategies such as social media, online video content, or building a website are all ways in which you are able to demonstrate what you are as a business and how you are able to provide a product or service to your consumers. Without these forms of platforms it would be pretty impossible to expand as a business if you did not have a marketing strategy in place.

Encourages a Purchase

Once you have drawn in your potential consumers you then have the opportunity to sell your products or services, which ultimately is the main aim. The more times you can do this the more likely you are to make a profit from the sales, which in essence is what you want as a successful business owner.

So to really make the most of the business you certainly want to utilize as many marketing strategies as possible so that you can thrive as a business owner.

Attracts people’s interest

Marketing is all about attracting people’s interest. It is a way to get people to learn more about your product or service and hopefully, convert into a customer. There are many different ways to market your business, but one of the most effective methods is outdoor advertising. Outdoor advertising is seen by a large number of people every day, and it can be very effective in getting your message across.

4 Proven Growth Strategies for Small Business Owners

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Growth Strategies|4 Proven Growth Strategies for Small Business OwnersGrowing a successful business is often about grit, positioning and strategy, partnerships, and a smidge of luck. Unfortunately, most people assume that successful business owners just got lucky.

And while some do agree that luck played a role in their success, they’ll also admit that they often worked extra-hard –in some instances pulling 18-hours days- just to make their business work.

The good news is if you’re willing to outwork, outthink and out-strategize, you can and will gain significant edge over your competition and go on to enjoy incredible business growth. That, plus the tips in this article will guarantee your success.

Determine Your Market Penetration Strategy

A smart man once said, “do not reinvent the wheel”. This means you don’t need to start from scratch to grow a business or have an original idea. You just need to take what works, improve upon it, and find a way to position it so it sells to the same audience.

This is where your market strategy becomes important. How do you intend to penetrate the market? Is your product different from the others in the market? If so, how?

For example, it may be that your product works better and faster than others in the market. That, right there, is how you position your product and penetrate that market. So, find your market penetration angle and run with it.

Increase Your Product Line

Is it possible to create various versions or models of your products with more or fewer features for various market segments? If you can, then you can take advantage of the often untapped market share that many small business owners miss out on.

Many smart small business owners often find unique product angles and increase their market offerings. For example, they can sell the premium version of their regular products to other buyers.

These luxury or enterprise versions often come with extra features that the buyers like and desire. If you do the same too, you’ll be essentially increasing your revenue streams without needing to build any new product from the ground up.

Target New Audiences

If you’re facing stiff competition in your target area or audience, how about expanding to other markets and finding new audiences? For instance, if the competition for your business is tough in your city, you can seek out business partnerships in other cities, states, or countries with less competition and offer the same services or products.

You can have distributorship agreements to this effect and take advantage of their established customer base and the relationship those brands have built with their customers. What you’re doing is essentially piggybacking on their success. Businesses in all fields everywhere do this, and with great success too.

Acquire Other Businesses

While this is similar to the tip above, the difference is you’ll be purchasing these businesses –as against establishing a partnership. These already come with a customer base, assets, and even infrastructure that you can just plug into and take advantage of.

For instance, if you’re a drilling contractor in one city, and are looking to expand to other cities, you can look for other flourishing or floundering drilling businesses and buy them. Then, implement the same systems that you used to make your other businesses successful.

The Strategy Behind your Marketing Moves

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article | The Strategy Behind your Marketing MovesYour business marketing strategy must be built on a very clear plan, and it is this strategy that this article will discuss and elucidate upon. The aim is to provide you with some tips and tricks that will improve your chances of business success. Good business strategy is about having a vision for the future and then planning and implementing workable systems to attain this vision. Marketing is no different, and before the flashy marketing material and interactive website is developed to drive sales, you will need to cogently plan and develop a strategy upon which such materials and messages will be based.

Data, data, data

In an age where data is freely available and available in huge quantities, this data should be the cornerstone of your marketing campaign. It is about realizing the value of data and beginning to harvest it wherever you can and where this will not cause inconvenience to your customers and clients. Social media is a great avenue for data collection, collation and verification, but so will the interactions on your website, in store and via telephone and SMS.

Cleaning and collating

Once you have the data, it needs to be sorted, cleaned, and collated. What data has been collected? Is it demographic? Does it belong to current, possible, probable, or previous customers? And where and when did you obtain such data? Without this process, all the data in the world will not be used to its full potential. As noted by gsa-marketing.co.uk, data must be the starting point of your wonderful marketing journey. And it is indeed a process rather than a project.

Analysis

Analyze the data that you have collected and determine at this point what it can be used for. More than three-quarters of marketers accept that it is at this point that their skills are lacking. In fact, 77% of business-to-business marketers feel that one of their team’s top 5 weaknesses is data and analytics. There are now various techniques to overcome this, either ensuring that the software you use has a built-in ability to analyze and produce the required metrics related to the data inputted.

Validation

Is the data genuine? No business wants to pay for and implement a costly marketing and advertising campaign based on data that has not been verified.

Begin to plan your marketing campaign

Only once you have gathered the necessary data, analyzed it, and begun to understand what it is and what it says about your market, customers, competition, and the future prospects of your business sector can you fully design a convincing marketing campaign.

This planning and data development will allow for a successful strategy to be determined and implemented. The idea that marketing was always for the creatives in the business or as contracted from outside the business, but the truth of the matter is that this creativity without the base data and customer and client information will be misguided, colors, bells, and whistles without substance and a poor chance of providing a solid return on investment.

4 Ways to Grow Your Business Organically

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Grow your business organically|4 Ways to Grow Your Business OrganicallyEntrepreneurs want to see their businesses grow. After all, growth indicates potential success and validates that your processes are working well. However, there are two kinds of growth, one that is fast but risky and another that is slow but steady. Which type you aim for could impact the course of your business.

Growth can be organic or inorganic. Organic growth occurs when you expand from within by getting more clients, offering new products and increasing output while solely relying on your own resources. Expansion begins internally and spreads out naturally. In contrast, inorganic growth is a result of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. A company gains access to new markets by taking over or fusing with other businesses.

Some people would argue that organic growth is inherently better than inorganic growth. But each type has a role in the long-term success of an organization. A combination of both often signifies that business is thriving. Even so, organic growth is undeniably more sustainable than its counterpart. If your goal is to grow a small company or start-up, better start bolstering the business from within before adding new locations.

With that in mind, we will focus on organic growth and learn five effective ways to grow your business organically

1. Create a Strong Brand

So, you have an excellent product, a friendly staff, even an eye-catching logo. But without a well-defined and solid company brand, your efforts are useless in the vast ocean of competition. You have to stand out, and your company brand is your rallying point. Remember that your brand goes beyond an emblem and a tagline. It is the entire experience – the products you offer, your customer service, your online presence, the way you treat your clients.

Creating a strong business brand is crucial because it makes your company more recognizable and sets you apart from others. It also builds consumer trust and provides value to your business. Effective branding enables you to cut marketing and advertising costs. Organizations with a unique but honest brand have a much easier job promoting their services to their customers and attracting prospective clients. The main reason for this is people are more likely to choose products from organizations that appear genuine, legitimate and credible. Moreover, a clear and consistent brand puts customers at ease because they already know what to expect from their transaction with you.

Branding is an integral part of your business strategy and helps your staff stay focused on the company goals. A clear brand provides motivation and direction to workers, often leading to high employee retention. Furthermore, it entices quality candidates to join your organization.

For customers to know about your company brand, ensure that your marketing tactics fit your target audience. This step requires a lot of research as you need to figure out how your clients prefer to receive information, but it is worth the effort. Having a well-thought marketing strategy will help you direct your budget on the most effective communication channels. Thus, getting the best results.

2. Build a Strong HR Department

As your business grows, you will need to hire additional people to meet the rising demand for your products or services. Bringing new workers on board means more paperwork, employees’ contracts, job responsibilities, performance assessments. Then, there is always the worry of hiring the wrong people. To address these concerns, you need a robust and able Human Resource department. A well-trained HR staff will not only take care of the paper trail but also manage employee matters.

The HR department has a vital role in choosing the best candidates to fill the positions created by the expansion of your business. Making sure you pursue the recruitment of competent HR staff will improve your recruitment process, diversify your team to increase innovativeness, and reduce, if not eliminate, employee turnover. The staff is also responsible for training and developing talent as well as cultivating leaders.

Although HR primarily focuses on employee relations, it also aids in building the company brand and culture. One of its roles is to forge a strong relationship with your partners and target market by facilitating business meetings, gatherings, conferences and promotional events. Lastly, HR looks after the corporate image and interest of the organization by helping the business comply with labor laws, health and safety regulations, and other government-mandated policies.

3. Ask Clients to Recommend Your Business to Others

Does word-of-mouth marketing really work? The short answer is yes. It is one of the fastest yet cheapest ways to attract and obtain new customers. Many companies go all out to make the overall experience so positive that word-of-mouth happens organically. If your clients had a great experience, they would be willing to promote your products or services to their friends, family, and colleagues for free.

However, merely asking your clients to talk about your offerings may not be enough to support the company. Customers, even happy ones, can be unpredictable and will not always remember to spread information about your business. To spice things up and encourage existing clientele to endorse you, develop a referral program that compensates customers for recommending your products and services. The incentives can include freebies, gift cards, cash backs, product discounts or store credit. A referral program is also an effective way to reward loyal and returning customers.

Finally, do not underestimate the potential of online reviews. Statistics show that 90 percent of customers check online reviews before choosing a business. Furthermore, over 67 percent of consumers’ feedback influences shoppers’ purchasing decisions. With that said, be sure to spend time and effort building your social media presence.

4. Developing Staff

You’ve probably heard it many times, but it’s worth mentioning again: you grow your business by developing your people. A company’s most valuable asset, after all, is its workforce.

Professional development is vital in every organization because it enhances knowledge, hones existing abilities, and teaches new skill sets that help people adapt to changes. It drives innovation and promotes better employee engagement, resulting in higher productivity and profitability. Additionally, developing your team members boosts their morale and increases satisfaction, which allows you to retain the best workers. This can be done using online bespoke training courses, created to specifically improve your employees in the areas of the business you want to grow.

However, employee development does not only focus on career advancement. It has to be complete and holistic. Be sure to include emotional balance, mental growth, and physical health in your program. In addition, provide the workforce with personal and professional development time to focus on self-directed learning.