People don't ask for a cola, they either choose Coke or Pepsi and if they have to sneeze it's usually not a tissue they ask for but a Kleenex.
How do brands become so well known they are a household name that is actually interchangeable with the product?
There are lots of great brands out there but what makes a good brand stand out from the rest?
Keep reading to learn how to make your business stand out and help you become a household name that everyone knows and loves.
Hello Is It Me You're Looking For?
The best thing you can do to build your brand is to be the brand people think of when they need a product or service.
If people want to have fun on the water, they think of getting a Sea-Doo. If they want to relax in the water at home they think of getting a Jacuzzi.
These brands have become synonymous with their product and they did it before the age of technology where you have the opportunity to become a household name without even leaving yours.
Be Your Brand Always!
You can't help others know you and love your products if you don't have a consistent and trustworthy brand. You need to know and be your brand all the time, whether it's online, at a social event or in your place of business.
Be true to you and be yourself because people love authentic and genuine in products and individuals they do business with. People watch and share when a brand they follow does something good or bad.
Making bad choices while representing your brand can make you a household name for all the wrong reasons.
Be a Social Butterfly
You can create a butterfly effect on the world wide web by having an online presence that makes others want to share your content.
The more great content you share, the more chances you have for potential customers to hear and know your name. Your brand becomes a part of their world and imprinted in their brain.
Profiles and consumer engagement on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram help you reach consumers you wouldn't normally connect with. It also helps your business brand when it comes to search engines like Google.
Search Engine Optimize Everything
Search engine optimization is crucial to ranking higher in search engine results. Algorithms are used with hundreds of factors to choose which pages should rank for each set of keywords a user searches.
While search engine optimization may sound overwhelming there are many companies that offer this service so that businesses like yours can concentrate on their own area of expertise.
Keywords and Tags
You can help search engines and internet surfers know what a page or image is about by using keywords and tags to identify the subject of your content.
This will help search engines index everything on your website so it is easier to rank effectively for its users. They are designed to provide the most accurate, relevant, informative, current results.
Visual Content
Whether it's a brochure, storefront, website or social media post your visual content is what makes it eye-catching and memorable.
People prefer visual content. In fact, online posts with images have a 650% higher engagement than posts with text alone. Over 80% of people merely skim written content and with an attention span that only lasts for seconds, it can be easy to lose visitors if you don't have visual content to catch their attention again.
You also have a better chance of ranking higher in search engine results more often. Search engines such as Google index and rank image results and video results separately from text. This means every image or video, when properly tagged, can give that page another chance to make the top of the search results for a single search.
It's not enough to just have a lot of pictures or videos though, they have to be in line with your company vision and your brand.
Videos
You have to give the customers what they want if you want to gain their loyalty and close the sale. The majority of consumers prefer video content over any other form of marketing from their preferred brands.
According to Forbes, 90% of consumers say how-to and product videos help in their decision to buy. Videos are also a great way to get more bang for your buck because video posts have 1200% higher engagement rates than text and image posts combined.
Engage and Entice
Your business isn't like the movie "Field of Dreams". You can't just go with the philosophy "If you build it they will come". You have to find a way to attract customers to try your brand before they can fall in love with it and become a loyal fan.
If you want to gain clients and to keep the ones you have you need to entice them to come see how great your products and services are and you have to engage with customers in a professional, friendly, and effective way to win their trust.
What Makes a Good Brand?
You can't earn the trust of customers and potential clients if you give them subpar products, inefficient services, or unfriendly customer service.
For your brand to be trusted, you must be trustworthy. You have to provide quality products, reliable services and helpful, knowledgeable staff for customers to feel like you are a brand they can commit to and be proud to promote.
Word of mouth is the best form of advertising you can get and it's easier than ever to get it in the age of technology. Now when someone promotes or complains about a product it isn't just to their friend over a cup of tea.
Now a complaint or compliment is immediately shared with the world on social media, review sites and directories.
Be Professional and Helpful
If you want to be known for quality and value then you need to provide both to your consumers. Your staff, website, and marketing material should give potential customers the knowledge they need to make an informed decision as to why you are the best company for them and others to use.
The better the service and products you provide to the customers you serve, the more your brand will be connected to quality and the more business you'll get.
Be a Dependable Brand
If you want to become a household name you need to be dependable. If you ask consumers "What makes a good brand?" the biggest factor is that it's a brand they can depend on.
To learn more about how to build your brand on a budget, be sure to check out our resources and blog often for more branding insight.
