Building and maintaining brand awareness is an imperative in the digital era. It is also a core step in differentiating yourself and your organization from potential competitors. While some established methods still merit consideration, you must also pay attention to new methods. Otherwise, you will get left behind. Here are several useful tips for representing your brand in 2015.
Emphasize Your Novelty
Everyone has a few signature facts that make them unique. Consider this premise from a brand perspective. What does Apple do that nobody else does? Because co-founder Steve Jobs was obsessed with aesthetics, Apple products maintain a sleek design style. The popular and affordable iPhone 6 is a great example of this. This smartphone has the thinnest profile yet, and combined with anodized aluminum, stainless steel, and glass it makes it one of the most aesthetically pleasing phones on the market. Even after being relentlessly imitated, Apple’s novelty remains.
How does this apply to you? Your company possesses a history. Use it to differentiate yourself within the marketplace. Identify a few aspects of your business that show the style and tone you want to present. Be sure to choose wisely, because you will be deciding exactly how customers perceive you.
Don’t Be Predictable
By definition, there is no way to stand out from the crowd through sameness. If your attempts at branding replicate those of competitors, customers will see you as one of many.Try to surprise your base by offering the unexpected. Offer a free gift to a random customer, celebrate Christmas in July, or post a video of a polar bear plunge in the midst of a winter storm. Demonstrate that your brand is nothing like their peers, and you will entice more customers.
Always Research Emerging Technologies
Anticipating the next big thing is oftentimes tricky. There was a time not that long ago when everyone judged strangers based upon their MySpace pages. The idea that an entire social media website would revolve around pictures, videos, or short messages seemed impossible.
The brands that reacted quickly to emerging technologies were able to use Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter to expand exponentially. There is no way to know what will be popular in five years, but you should still learn from recent history. Always pay attention to internet destinations that are experiencing staggering growth. Then, deduce ways that you can graft your own brand to ride the wave.
Leverage the Power of Apps
Smart devices are ubiquitous in our society. In order to maximize the value of your brand, you’re going to need apps. Whether you offer a serious service and want to stress your professionalism or you want to follow the Old Spice trajectory of extreme silliness, your apps should represent your style.
What you don’t want to do is build an app and then abandon it, though. Such behavior marks your brand as sloppy in the maintenance phase and is something that consumers will note. Staying current with Apple, the latest Android releases, and their hardware capabilities should guarantee a product that will be cutting-edge for at least two years. Remember that the app is an extension of your brand, so don’t settle for shoddy work.
Maintain a Blog
Most of the advice above requires the display of your brand image through various digital options. A blog is one of the oldest concepts on the internet, but it’s still vital to brand representation. You need to craft a blog that tells readers exactly who you are as well as what your plans are.
Updating your blog consistently is critical to gaining and sustaining the respect of your readers. There is nothing that damages your brand more than a lack of updates on your blog. Maintaining content does not require you to write constantly, nor must you hire professionals to provide copy.
Simply try to jot down a few thoughts every few days. When inspiration is not available, post a few links. Even this simple gesture lets the reader know that you are making an effort to entertain them. They will think better of your brand because of it. Better yet, these readers will share your content with their friends, and your potential customer base will grow.
The math alone indicates that there are countless competitors in your field of expertise. In order to cultivate a larger client base, follow the steps above to differentiate what makes your brand better than the rest.