Do you have a brand that you fully believe in, but are having trouble getting others to believe the same? Perhaps it is not what you are producing that is not catching on, but instead how you are going about promoting your brand. Promoting a brand is one of the quintessential pieces to any business. It not only allows you to spread your brand’s message, but it also allows you to create a voice that you can choose to manipulate in however way you see fit.
With that in mind, it is important that you examine a few key factors before you try and promote. Below are some tips for you to review before you go about creating and developing a voice for your business.
First, look to brands that always get your attention. Do you see a brand that you always take note of when it appears on the television or radio? For some, it might be the McDonalds commercial or the Apple commercials. Notice what they do it order to get your attention and examine the voice and positioning they use for each product. This will help in not only giving you guidance, but will also help in deciding what you do and do not want to use.
Second, try and see that you what is most important to you. Do you pride yourself on the quality first, and then price, or price first and then quality. Although both are equally important, if you have a low price point as compared to your competition, you are more likely to play up your pricing. If your rates noticeably higher, then one should hope that it is because you’re offering a service of higher value. As a result, position each accordingly. Speak more about the quality if that’s what you value, and more about the price if you know you’re rates are the lowest.
Third, look at the vehicles in which you want to use in order to effectively communicate your brand. Would you like to use postcards, billboards, television commercials, social media, online banner buys, etc. An ideal marketing plan would include all of these, but more money will be assessed to certain things dependent on the business. For example, an online company will put more money toward online, buys as opposed to offline and vice versa. Make sure what you choose is appropriate to your brand.
Finally, sit down and come up with the answers to these questions:
- What will you do for me?
- How will you do it?
- Why should I believe you?
Answering these questions will not only help in understanding more about your voice, but will also help in differentiating yourself from the competition. Once these are all answered, use the answers for these in all marketing and PR related activities. That way, you have a clear, unified voice that stands above the rest and is relevant to your company.
Melanie Turner is a Business student at Columbia University. She is also a Researcher at Deloitte Consulting where she works with expert marketing teams on Fortune 500 clients. As a growing expert in the field of marketing, Melanie aims to provide insights and resources to Small Businesses.