What’s your brand saying about you?
It’s all over the street – nobody really knows what you do there at ABC Co. It’s not like your customers or potential customers are spreading bad news about you, it’s more the fact that they’re not saying anything at all. There is no buzz. Everybody knows you but for some reason that’s not translating into tangible business. You appear to be doing everything right on the ground. But are you really?
From my experience dealing with SME’s (small to medium enterprises), a common misconception about marketing is that have to list everything that they do on their business cards, brochures and marketing materials in general. “Ed,” they tell me, “if I don’t say – it I don’t do it!” Maybe you’re saying too much. They seem to feel that an overall strategy is less important than a great eye-popping graphics. Manufacturers give more space on their marketing materials to pictures of their plants and group shots of the entire staff. Retailers are preoccupied with getting that price as low as possible and pretending to have great service while remaining closed on days popular with customers. Service businesses are more concerned with their convenience than their customers by relying entirely on email for connections.
The common problem is not that you may be known physically, but you’re unknown intellectually. Your customers can’t identify you with a need they have for your products or services. They’re confused. It’s a common communication/branding problem. The few example above point directly to:
1) No positioning strategy. Your audience “is never everyone” it’s always a segment. It’s the segment that brings the most cash your way. Inevitably if you list everything, you’re bound to forget one thing. In the customers mind, since you do list everything, then you must be telling them that if it’s not listed – you don’t do it. A simple but uncompromising rule. It’s much better to chose the service or category that brings you the highest opportunity and separates you from your competition. This will position you as the leader or the go to company.
2) Lack of communication. Everyone loves those super graphics that are so cool in marketing. The viral video. Anything that will catch the eyes and minds of the viewer. The problem is that while cool, they communicate nothing. Their goal is quantity over quality. Who cares if hoards of people look at you, if they don’t translate into business for you. If you don’t have a consistent strong ongoing compelling message to tell, what is your brand really saying about your business? You are ultimately responsible for what your brand is saying – make it count.
3) Authenticity. You’ve seen it I’m sure; businesses bragging how service is the key to their brand and they make you wait on hold for 20 minutes. They open when it’s convenient to them and they connect entirely by email because it wouldn’t be convenient to drive all the way over to see you. Their entire brand is a contradiction. These are companies that don’t live up to their brand values.
To brand effectively you must say it, believe it and live it. Branding is all about controlling your perception on the street. You have the opportunity to define yourself, drop the ball and the marketplace will not be kind. Once the rumour mill takes over, you will spend more time correcting and following, than doing what makes you income and moves you forward.
Great Information………Keep It Up…….!!!!
Great Information………Keep It Up…….!!!! Â
Regards,Sibtain Haider
@SibtainHaider Thank you, thank you
Authenticity is a brand’s biggest selling point. Even great advertising won’t save a business with poor customer service. That’s why it’s important for businesses to live up to the image they project to other customers and other businesses.
@MicroSourcing It’s even been said that great advertising is the best way to kill a bad product. They’ll try it once but won’t return. Thank you MS
Great Post.  I’ll definitely check out more of your stuff.
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 isetservice
@Jeremy Cissell  isetservice Thank you Jeremy.
Brand is the most important thing to consider in any business. Thanks for sharing this post.
Very informative post! I find that authenticity is really the main point from all that you said and within any business. And its not just authenticity over the business’s services, but the business being authentic with themselves and their image as well.
@Mantodea Everything yes. It’s a task but a great one when done right.
I think that in these days, it is almost essential to have an internet marketing presence. You need to be present and active on all of the social networks and your small business website or company MUST have a user-friendly and informative website. Web presence is as important as having a physical location.
@stanleygarland Your correct Stanley and still how many companies have you come into contact with who still fight it? I see it much of the time. Web presence is another tool in the marketing kit.
Very nice insights. Is this based on experience? Anyway a very well written article. I should consider consider this advice. Their really good.
@Velocity_Local Some aspects are personal experience and also clients’ experience. In our day-to-day running of a business we all must be diligent and keep on top top of our brand. The issue outlined are a small sampling of what can happen.
It is vital to make sure that from the word go meaning as soon as your blog gets listed on Google who have already finished creating the site with the appropriate information with which you wish to pass on to whoever might land on your website. With regards to the points mentioned above, i agree with them all especially the lack of communication reason, which is actually most preferred by most because it is the most fun way of marketing as opposed to the other strategies.
This was my first time on your blog and I think you guys are cool, Lol. I wrote a post addressing a similar topic. Â I truly do agree that the worst thing that could happen to your brand is that no one is talking about it. “To brand effectively you must say it, believe it and live it.” I’ll be back!
Great article. It is extremely important to be involved in social media. Not just to get coverage or to keep tabs on what kind of coverage you are getting but also answer for the things people are saying about your brand.
Branding is one of the important thing to focus on when marketing a business that’s why you have to be careful in advertising your products because once you made a wrong move people wont never forget your brand.
superb article i really like it
Nicely said!
Many business over look this part and to me its one of the most important thing to improve on
The common problem is not that you may be known physically, but you’re unknown intellectually. Your customers can’t identify you with a need they have for your products or services. They’re confused. It’s a common communication/branding problem. The few example above point directly to:
What’s your brand saying about you? It’s all over the street – nobody really knows what you do there at ABC Co. It’s not like your customers or potential customers are spreading bad news about you, it’s more the fact that they’re not saying anything at all. There is no buzz
Really great advice. I agree with other users that Authenticity is a brand’s biggest selling point. Great blog post and keep up the good work.