Growing a brand that lasts takes time, effort, and dedication. If you want your brand to still be around years from now, you need to put in the work to make it happen. It's not as simple as creating a logo or choosing a colour scheme; you need to think about the long-term goals for your brand and how you can best achieve them.
1. Keep your promises
One of the most important ways to build trust is by keeping your promises. If you say you will do something, make sure it gets done. And if for some reason you can't keep a promise, be honest about it—don't just blow people off or ignore them when they ask why things aren't happening as they were promised.
If possible, don't promise anything that can't be guaranteed. This is especially important when dealing with customers or clients who have paid money for a service or product and want their money's worth (or more). You don't want to disappoint anyone by promising more than you can deliver!
2. Innovate within your industry
You should always be looking for ways to improve your business, but it's especially important when you're looking to grow a lasting brand. Think about what your customers need and then meet that need with a new product or service. Learn from other brands in your industry: what do they offer? How is it different from what you're offering?
3. Prioritize the customer experience
To deliver a product that meets the customer's needs and expectations, you must first know your customers. Why do they use your products? What are their challenges? How can you solve these challenges for them?
The first step in creating an effective customer experience is understanding the challenges of your target market. Once you have done that, it's time to prioritize essential elements of their journey with your brand.
The second step is designing a strategy for each challenge that will help improve user satisfaction and eventually lead to loyal customers who share positive experiences about buying from you. For example, let's say one of your main challenges is delivering fast responses when someone needs help or more information about one of your products.
You could improve your customer experience by implementing a live chat feature on your website so customers can get help right away. Or you might set up an email autoresponder to answer common questions, so customers don't have to wait for a human response.
4. Invest in marketing efforts that reach your target audience
Social media channels like Facebook or Instagram are great for reaching out to specific audiences, especially when you use paid advertising on them (but don't abuse it—targeted ads aren't cheap!). If your business is tech-focused, hiring an SEO expert may make sense as well; they'll help you rank higher in search engine results on Google and Bing by optimizing your website for search terms related to what you do.
The final tip here? Don't neglect traditional methods! Just because "print is dead" doesn't mean print advertising won't work for you—it just might not be the right fit at this stage in the game. Try combining digital and traditional methods together—maybe run an ad online first, then follow up with a package mailer offering coupons or more information about your services? A company we admire that sells a relaxing hammock did a campaign where they installed hammocks around Manchester City Centre, which picked up lots of media attention in their #hammocktakeover.
5. Have a clear vision for your brand and ensure every touchpoint reflects it
Before you can start building your brand, it's crucial to have a clear vision for what you want it to be. This is the most critical step in creating and growing a lasting brand. Your vision should be easy for customers to understand and relate to.
You need to know what the customer wants from your business, as well as how they want it delivered. For example, if you're selling t-shirts online, there are many different aspects of your product that could appeal to different groups of people: colour options and sizes; type of material used; quality of construction; design theme (e.g., sporty vs. retro vs modern).
Once you've identified these different aspects that could influence how people interact with your brand, think about whether those same attributes will appeal equally across all demographics—or if some may resonate more strongly with certain kinds of customers than others?
6. Build up a rock-solid reputation
Building a rock-solid reputation is all about delivering on your brand promise. If you can keep your promises and innovate within your industry and prioritize the customer experience, then it's likely that your company will build a reputation for quality and reliability.
Conclusion
Creating a lasting brand is not an easy task, but it's well worth the effort. By focusing on your target market, designing a compelling customer experience, and investing in marketing efforts that reach your audience, you can set your business up for success. And don't forget—a clear vision and a rock-solid reputation are essential for any lasting brand. With these tips in mind, you're well on your way to building a brand that will stand the test of time.
