Do you have a magnetic brand — what efforts are you doing to develop a brand that truly draws people to you and your company?
A magnetic brand is a brand that attracts people. Think about the brand’s you’re familiar with and attracted to.
What makes them magnetic?
Chances are they portray a certain image that you like to associate with. As a small business, you can take this theory and run with it to develop a magnetic brand for your business.
Here’s How to Develop a Magnetic Brand
#1 What is your personality?
Most small businesses would do well to brand their business to their personality. For example, if you’re a straight shooter then brand your business that way. If you’re fun loving, then develop a brand around that. And if you’re a serious sort, then use that. Branding your business around your personality makes it much easier to send a consistent and solid brand message. And you’ll be working with people you can easily communicate with and relate to. It’s much easier than trying to build a brand that isn’t you.
#2 Build your brand around your customer’s needs and wants too.
For example, if your business is about cancer insurance and you’re a sarcastic individual, the two many not go hand in hand. Consider the feeling and brand image your customers need to trust you and connect with you.
#3 Embrace colors and images that support your personality and the brand voice your customer’s need and be consistent when presenting them.
Use your logo, colors and graphics consistently throughout your web content, marketing materials and communications. Create a theme and an image you want to portray and stick to it so prospects and customers can begin to recognize you.
#4 Interact.
Get out online and participate in the world wide web. The more your audience sees you the more powerful your brand becomes. Experts say that people need at least three exposures to a brand before they remember it, which means you need to be out interacting online with your prospects and customers to make sure they know you. Use social media to facilitate the process.
This is what makes social media such a powerful tool. Three positive interactions with a prospect create brand recognition and social media opens you and your company up to thousands of potential prospects.
#5 Focus on what your brand does best.
If you try to be all things to all people, you’ll end up being nothing to everyone. Be unique and focus on your USP, Unique Selling Proposition. Differentiate your brand around your strengths and your personality. Determine what your brand stands for, and deliver on your promise.
Building a magnetic brand takes time, focus and consistency. Decide what your message and your brand is going to be. Make sure it fits with your personality and your target audience and cultivate your brand in everything you do. Be active online, participate in social networking and media, communicate your brand in your messages and activities and focus on giving your audience what they need and want.
Vera, I love your article. I would want to stress that #1, “What’s your personality?” should be >based on< #2, "Build your brand around your customers needs and wants too."
I have a hard time in one of my niches to build a real brand. It is a site about home bleaching but also general information on the topic of teeth whitening. Now the issue I am experiencing is that people don’t trust this niche anymore because they have been ripped of too many times. The site is bringing in decent money but in terms of building some kind of community around it… it looks bad.
There are tons and tons of quality content on the page but I have very high bounce rates and am not really sure why.
Branding is definately the way to go because one time customers are ok but way better are customers that come back over and over.
Brand is about perception, if you have a brand that excites people they will help spread the word about your brand, its more than just establishing a brand that people are drawn to.
I think number 5 is so true, be the trusted expert in your field and that will lead to business opportunities outside of it as well. “The nicher, the richer” as they say!
Hi Vera
Agree.It’s essential to establish a solid foundation for your brand first before diving in to the people. It’s a good decision to put online marketing in number 4. It’s a smart move to use social networking sites and other mediums to reach out to people but remember it’s not enough that you trust on your brand, you should also make other people trust in you by making yourself credible by having a solid brand.
Sticky or magnetic brands are created not born. I personally like the generic brands. For example if you live in the United States and you own an airline company, for example American Airlines, these generic brands resonate better with your clients and customers. If you had Airline Company and called yourself “XYZ†company, it does not have the same effect or brand recognition as with the first example. Food for thought…
While marketing our brand we have to use our logo, colors and graphics but one thing in mind this logo,color and graphics are same on all marketing places. Also liked all the tips which is by you.
Very good post…you could right a good book on this Vera. Something to add about brand names I think that goes along with this is the example of GOOGLE. GOOGLE made up “GOOGLE IT” So when we think about the internet we think of GOOGLE.That’s powerful! That’s something that we can do…when someone thinks about our industry they should think of us. For example if you have a Courier Service named Spot Runners you could make your brand phrase “RUN IT!” So when people think of a courier service they’ll think of you…you’ll have a tremendous edge over your competitors. It’ll take time…but it’s worth it.
On #2, I would go even further – to say more than “It’s not just about you” to “It’s not at all about you”. It’s all about your customers. They don’t care about you, why should they? They are in it for them, and the sooner your brand touches the place in them that addresses their true desires and needs, the greater the success.
I’m really enjoying your blog!
Interaction is what we need. Most businesses forget about that important aspect. You need to put some effort to reach out with other people. In this way, they can feel your sincerity towards them.