We all want our brand to have strength, but how do you achieve that? What are the steps to building a strong brand?
1. Building a strong brand
Even if you’ve got a great idea, or a concept of what your business will be and what your profile will look like, don’t connect until you’ve defined what you represent. As Forbes suggests: determine your emotional appeal; think about your personality in terms of why someone would benefit from working with you. Reflecting on what makes you and your brand unique is a key to building a strong brand.
2. Learn
Building your knowledge in your chosen industry is an ongoing task. If you want to be viewed as an expert in your field, you need to observe, research and be ready to develop your own views. Ask yourself: what goals do I want to set? How would I describe my business? Who are my target audience? Write your own business ‘mantra’ reminding yourself about what your purpose is in building a strong brand.
3. Manage your reputation; in life and online
Building a strong brand means you need to maintain your profile. Make sure your social, professional and online interactions are aligned with your brand. Being consistent is the primary focus here; you can’t have two ‘separate’ entities. You are your own PR team, and in the digital age a dodgy photo or a hasty retweet can mean the loss of a client, or worse — irreversible damage to your reputation. Unfortunately, the internet never forgets!
4. building a strong brand with trust
Be honest, and have integrity with everything you do. You want your brand to be seen as a reliable and credible entity; you have to earn your place in people’s consciousness. By taking on this position, you have a responsibility to be an authentic information source. Be discerning but not frugal with taking your time to educate, share your knowledge and connect with others.
5. Be patient
As singer Eddie Cantor famously quipped: It takes 20 years to become an overnight success. Once you’ve developed your brand, you need to constantly seek out opportunities to build it. You’ll experience rejection and possibly long periods of time where progress seems stagnant. The one thing that will pull you through it is complete belief in your brand and a consistent profile.
