BRANDING
A good, solid brand sets the foundation for everything else that happens online
It doesn't matter if you're a small startup with one early fan or a well-known player dominating your industry, your level of brand equity will show in your bottom line.
What Is Branding?
Branding is the art of influencing your market, employees, business partners and the world in general so that they view your business in a specific manner. Your business without branding relies on hope that someone will try your product or service to see its value.
Your business with branding allows you to convey the value of your product or service to others before they invest their money. It allows members of your target market to connect with your business in a way that builds trust, increasing the chance that they will choose you over a competitor.
It all comes down to brand recognition and brand awareness. When the right words, images and ideas are automatically associated with your products or services, you know that you've established enough brand authority to stimulate business growth.
Branding Goes Beyond the Logo
Many branding or marketing "gurus" will tell you to create a catchy slogan or eye-catching logo. They'll add the logo to your website and perhaps use your slogan for advertising, but few will push your branding to the next level. Logos and slogans are effective, but they only scratch the surface of what's possible with an effective branding strategy.
What exactly is the next level when building brand authority? It's your online presence. While singing catchy tunes over the radio was once an effective way to reach consumers, establishing a strong online reputation is what it takes to dominate a market in the modern world.
If you still spend more of your marketing budget on local advertising or offline campaigns, consider some statistics that represent the landscape of marketing in 2019:
· More than half of all smartphone users report learning about a new product or service while searching for information on their phones.
· When consumers search online for products or services, 90% are not set on purchasing from a specific brand.
· More than 80% of consumers shopping with a smartphone have used "near me" searches to locate products, services and businesses in their local communities.
· When location-based searches are conducted through a smartphone, the result is an offline purchase nearly 80% of the time.
Why Logos Aren’t Enough
You may already have a logo that grabs the eye. Perhaps you even have a slogan that sticks in the brain easily. Why is it still so difficult to reach your goals for profitability and growth? For most businesses, it's due to a lack of investment in an online reputation.
Before the internet became central to life for most consumers, marketing was all about brand recognition. You wanted your packaging to look familiar on store shelves. You wanted everyone singing your tune along with the television. The real value of your products and services didn't matter as much as just getting people to recognize your brand.
Today, just recognizing your logo or slogan isn't enough to drive sales and growth. Consumers have more resources at their fingertips than ever before. They can read product reviews online, interact with your brand through social media and discover new brands through celebrity endorsements.
Some of the most effective marketing videos are now shot from smartphones by real people sitting in their living rooms. In fact, someone going live on social media to rant about a new product they love or excellent customer service at a local business could drive more sales recognition and business growth than any high-dollar marketing campaign you launch.
The Secret to Maximizing Exposure & Enhancing Growth
So, what's the secret to effective branding in this virtual-focused market?
It's all about combining brand awareness and a strong online platform. Your online presence is now more important than the number of flyers that you send to local mailboxes or getting your ad on a popular morning radio program.
What will potential customers do when they take your flyer out of their mailbox? Most will look you up online to see if you're legit and what you have to offer.
Someone hears your radio ad and is interested in your service. What next? Most will look you up online before they call, even if you give a phone number in the ad.
If you haven't invested in an effective online platform, your flyers and other local advertisements aren't likely to deliver maximum results. Every marketing campaign that you launch is supported by your online presence, so building a positive online reputation is essential to business survival today.
That leads us to a more dynamic view of branding. Adding a logo to your website is only the beginning. To build true brand authority and step above your competitors, you need elevated branding strategies that tie the virtual world to your offline business flawlessly.
With that one secret, you can take many of your unprepared competitors by surprise. Better exposure and substantial growth are your rewards.
Branding is the foundation of everything a business does to market and promote their products and services.
If you want more traffic and sales, you need to create brand authority and awareness and develop a strong online presence. ProMediaAuthority will increase your online exposure and give you the prominence you need and deserve.
Get Your Business On The Fast-Track To Success
