Why do I need a brand strategy?
Most business owners know they need a business strategy in place. But how many of you also have a brand strategy as well? While the two things often work in harmony together, their functions have a lot of differences.
So, why do you need a brand strategy?
Clarify your positioning and your target audience.
Without a brand strategy, you’re at risk of casting your net way too wide. Remember, you can’t be everything to everyone. Similarly to your business strategy, your brand strategy will help make sure you’re speaking to the right people in the right places at the right time.
I’ve seen a lot of instances where businesses feel like they aren’t attracting the right kind of clients and they end up scratching their heads as to why. And usually, it’s because they haven’t clarified their positioning, their offering, their audience and what they actually want to say to them.
Your strategy is a way to clearly map out exactly where you sit in your market as well as where your audience is and what they need to hear from you.
Guide how you interact with your audience.
Your brand strategy sets out your business’s personality and helps your audience distinguish you from your competition. Defining your character and tone of voice is crucial in building connections with your audience. In doing so, everyone within your business or those you work with to create your marketing and content, have a document that guides how to consistently create content that not only sounds like your business but feels like it too. This is how long term loyalties are created because your clients know what they’re getting from you every time they interact with you.
Avoid inconsistencies.
If there’s one thing customers hate seeing, it’s inconsistencies. Not only do they look unprofessional, they throw up some red flags to your customers about your authenticity.
By deciding how you’re going to communicate what you do to your audience and knowing exactly what your position and messaging is going to be, you’ll avoid making silly mistakes that could cost you business down the line.
Direct your entire marketing strategy.
Your brand strategy has the power to influence your entire marketing plan. Think about it. There’s no point planning an elaborate customer journey on a platform your customers aren’t using.
Your brand is the foundation of all your outgoing marketing. Without a firm strategy in place before you commit to your marketing, you may find your campaigns aren’t as successful as they could have been because you don’t know exactly what your customers need and want.
Manage your brand perception.
“Your brand is not what you say, it’s what they say it is.”
I firmly believe in what Marty has said here. A great brand is one where its customers are clear as crystal on what the brand stands for. Without a strategy in place, you’ll probably find it difficult to manage the perception of your brand. In 2021, surrounded by cancel culture, it’s so important to maintain a positive perception and reputation.
The way to do this? Authenticity. If your brand is a true reflection of your business and the people in it and what you stand for, you shouldn’t have to worry about staying on the same page as your customers. You’ll have attracted exactly the right people.
Your brand should work for you, not against you. Brand strategies are there to support the hard work you do, not just look pretty. Your brand has the power to influence your marketing, your audience perception and ultimately, conversion. When you think about it, you’d be silly to ignore it, right?
If you’d like to talk to me about brand strategy, let’s get to work!