Branding is a word used for a wide variety of uses in promoting a brand. Sometimes the right way, and sometimes the wrong way. At its core, branding is a practice where a company creates a name, symbol, design, or feeling easily identifiable as belonging to the company.
The times when branding was simply creating a logo are long behind us. Nowadays, companies need to focus on a wide variety of strategies to build brand recognition. This can range from online marketing strategies like creating brand content, Facebook advertising campaigns, or using influencers to create a buzz.
The online techniques are all great ways to put a face to your brand, but some of the best practices are the techniques that have been tried and tested for many years. These include networking on industry events, while object-based marketing is an integral part of branding as well.
We look at how you can use branding to your advantage, so you can grow your brand naturally using techniques that work.
Using Online Marketing Strategies To Your Benefit
There are significant benefits to online marketing strategies to build your brand; however, choosing the right one for your business can be tricky and will need careful consideration.
- Using Social Media To Create Brand Awareness: Many companies often make the mistake of paying a marketing company to place ads on Facebook and wait for traffic to start. Adds on social media are an excellent way to promote your brand; however, the problem is that you create one-time visits if you do not offer more. A great social media strategy combines ads with great content. Sharing how your products can help someone without directly promoting your products can create interest and recurring visits.
- Using Content Marketing To Your Benefit: Content marketing is a great way to create free traffic for your company. By utilizing Google, you can build your brand to be an authority in your industry. This can be publishing blogs, white papers, YouTube videos, and interesting articles on your website. If Google believes that your content answers the questions your potential clients are looking for, it will create a great, free traffic stream to your website.
- Using Influencers: Using influencers can be a great way to build your branding. However, keep in mind that influencers specialize in a wide variety of niches. Finding and choosing the right one can be a difficult task. There is little point in spending money (and using influencers can be expensive) on an influencer that has a following outside of your target base. Once you find the right one, they can help you reach many potential customers with just a few posts.
Creating a Buzz with Branded Merchandise
Look around you. Chances are, somewhere on your desk or in your living room is a promotional product. Chances are you know the name of this company and what services it provides. Chances are quite significant that you have used this service before and will do so again.
Branded merchandise is one of the strongest tools companies have at their disposal. There is a good reason that companies give away objects like pens freely; pens travel around, and everybody needs them. A website like this one can give you a vast amount of marketing material for a fraction of the cost of a full-blown ad campaign, with higher returns.
Industry events are a great way to showcase your business and build your branding. By attending these events, handing out business cards, free pens, or other branded merchandise, you can start building a brand that people will remember.
Branding is all about showcasing your mission, the reason for being, the unique qualities your company brings to the table, and the style and personality you want to portray. By using the above methods, you can create a branding buzz that brings people to your company and keeps them there.