Brand Ignition: Branding for Business and Product Success

Before you can come up with a brand, you should understand that a brand, any brand, exists only in the minds of the companys customers. Its not real. It needs to be invented. So with your brand, you are the one who needs to bring it to life and place it where your customers can find it.
To start with, you need to be very clear about two things: Who are the people in your target audience? And what does your company offer to those people that uniquely satisfies one of their needs?
Notice that I am not saying you need to fulfill all of your customers needs. Thats not

Whats in a name? 

Your brand name is the most important piece of your strategy. You could conjure up a nonsense word, like Google or Yahoo, or choose a more traditional name. Either way, your brand name should be short, catchy, and easy to remember.

If you are just starting out you might think theres only one good way to market your brand, but take a look around. You will quickly see there are lots of different marketing strategies. Experiment. Mimic the ones that appeal to you. See what works best for you and your brand.

For starters, you will want to come up with a plan that includes everything about your marketing strategy from beginning to end. Your product, its pricing, how you will position it, and how you will promote it.

Do you want to brand each product distinctly or to use corporate branding? Brands like FedEx or Costco are corporate brands. The company itself is the brand.

When it comes to social media, you have lots of choices.

Of course theres Facebook, the granddaddy of them all. Any good marketing plan will give at least a nod to Facebook.

Since so many people use Facebook to stay in touch with family and friends, a well placed and well designed ad on Facebook could do your brand a lot of good. Heck, your ad might even go viral if you put enough thought into it and the stars are aligned.

Facebook ads, and some of the others, too, come with handy analytics that help you track your spending as well as the results your ads are producing.............

In this segment were going to be talking about two of the three pillars of your success, your vision and your values.

We will talk about the third pillar, crafting a compelling story for your brand, in the next segment.

Before you can ignite your brand, you must provide it with a sturdy foundation. Three pillars--vision, value, and story--will form the firm footing your brand needs.

Why do photographers use a tripod instead of a support with four legs? Obviously, two legs would not be enough, but if three legs are good, wouldnt four be better? Not really.
 
If you want stability, you need three supports. Not one, not two, and no more than three.

In this segment, we will talk about how you can tell your companys story to build your brand.

Was your restaurant chain founded by your great-great-grandfather? If so, you are rightly proud of your story and probably already use it to your advantage, perhaps by printing a short vignette of your companys story on the backs of your menus, carrying out its themes in your restaurants decor, and talking it up with your employees so they can feel proud of it, too.
 
A biotech start-up, on the other hand, will have a very different story, one that includes scholarly and scientific research, a product or two that could save lives if given half a chance, and personnel who are wildly enthusiastic about working for you and your company.

Human beings love stories. We make them up all the time. Think about the last time someone you loved failed to call you when you expected them to. Didnt you make up a story--or lots of them--about why they would do that, only to find out when you finally reached them, that something entirely different had happened than what you had imagined?

There are some who say that our fondness for stories is one of the chief traits that distinguishes human beings from other animals.
 
Besides all that, stories are persuasive, and thats just science.

Think I'm kidding? Listen up.

A brand manager basically owns the brand. He or she oversees market research, guides development, and chooses the opportune moment to spring the entire marketing strategy into action.
 
If your company offers more than one product, your brand manager could be quite busy, especially if you decided to go the route of distinct branding, with a separate brand for each product. As a matter of fact, in some companies, brand managers are so busy they require a full staff in order to do their job properly.

On the other hand, if you run your own company yourself, the responsibility for managing your brand--or brands--falls squarely on your shoulders. If thats the case, just be aware that managing your brand is no small part of the overall job of running your company.

A good brand manager is first and foremost a skilled communicator. He or she must be able to communicate effectively not only with your target audience but also with other members of your team.
 
Good brand managers are i

If your brand has already been online for a while, you know how important SEO is. 

SEO basically refers to the art of choosing powerful keywords that help your customers find you online.

Good SEO will get your brand to pop up to the top of the screen when people search for your company and its products. Truly powerful SEO allows people to find you even when they search for something thats only remotely related to your brand.
 
Creating vigorous SEO can be frustratingly elusive, but when it happens, its like magic.

SEO is an art. There is nothing simple about it. To complicate things even further, good SEO is a moving target, because the rules are shifting all the time.

But you can learn the basics of S

Do you know the number-one reason customers stop buying from one company and turn to that companys competitors?

Think its price or the quality of the product? Think again.

It turns out that the biggest reason customers stop buying from one company and turn to another one is--you guessed it--poor customer service. 

On the other hand, if you make your customers happy with excellent customer service, theyre far more likely to keep coming back to you again and again. Whats more, theyre even more likely to encourage their friends to become your customers, too.

So what is outstanding customer service?

Weve all heard it said that a first impression is a lasting one. Your brand name is most likely your customers first impression of your business and your brand, so consider your brand name carefully.

If you choose the right brand name, it could help to ignite your brand. So if you have the funds to do so, consider hiring a naming expert. 

There are firms which specialize in coming up with distinctive names for new companies and products, and one of them could help you find just the right combination of letters to make your company stand out.

If youre an entrepreneur whos just starting out, though, you might not be able to withstand those experts hefty fees. If thats the case, here are some pointers that can help you through the process of coming up with a name for your brand.

Think about what your brand name needs to accomplish. Go back to your vision, your values, and your story as you consider what this might be. A good brand name will flow from the inspiration that initially gave rise to your business.
 

Your logo, if its designed well, will capture your target audiences attention. To do that, it needs to convey a lot of information with just a single glance.

So dont just hire your brother-in-law John to slap a logo together for you, that is, unless John is a killer designer with a degree in graphics design and tons of experience under his belt. 

Whomever you hire, your logo designer must be right for your company. Even if you find a great designer to create a logo for you, that person might not actually fully grasp your company and what its about. So keep looking till you find exactly the right designer.

And if you feel you cant afford to hire a designer right now, there are some websites that will help you design your own logo, and some of them will even let you do that for free. If you choose to design your own logo, keep the following suggestions in mind.

First of all, your logo should instantly communicate whats unique about your company. It needs to capture your companys personality. You can either include your brand name in your logo or keep your logo and your brand name separate but harmonious.

Think of some logos that are designed in this way: McDonalds Golden Arches, Targets Bullseye, Coca Colas cursive signature, Nikes bold Swoosh.

Nearly everyone is online nearly all the time these days, it seems, but the real world hasnt gone away. Take a peek out your window, step out your front door, and remember to take your brand with you when you go.

Never forget that you are your companys first ambassador. Like it or not, your behavior both online and off reflects on your brand. 

You may want to assign your official offline brand management to yourself or someone on your team, but the story doesnt end there.

Your employees are next in line. If you treat them well and make them feel part of a team they can feel proud of, their word-of-mouth promotions of your company will be spontaneous and positive. You cant get much better than that!

You can turn your best customers into promoters for your company, too. When you give useful promotional products as thank-you gifts, your brand name could travel far and wide and remain in your customers line of sight for months on end, without your having to move a muscle.

Are some of your best customers movers and shakers in the community? They could become your ambassadors. Talk with them one-on-one and frankly ask for their help. You might be surprised at how warmly they respond, especially if they think of you as a friend or someone they already regard highly.

Leaflets and brochur

Hi there, and welcome back. In this segment, were going to be talking about and licensing and franchising.

In a licensing agreement, one company grants to another, for a fee, limited rights to make use of the first companys intellectual property or products. While every licensing agreement is different, with the simplest of them, no training or marketing support are included, as is the case with franchising.

A common example of a license agreement are the terms and conditions that come with software--all that fine print that no one ever reads. That licensing agreement gives you the right to use the software, as long as you abide by those terms and conditions.

Then, what is franchising? According to Merriam Webster, franchising is the right granted to an individual or group to market a companys goods or services in a particular territory. Basically, a franchise comes with a comprehensive license as a part of it, but its more than that. Some call it a business in a box.

When you get to the point with your business that you want to expand while minimizing your risk, you might consider franchising your business in a particular region to another enterprising individual.

That person, too, could see the arrangement as less risky, as it could be a way for him or her to ease into being self-employed. If thats the case, the arrangement could work well for both parties.
 
Once your business is ready to take the leap into franchising, you could grant--for an agreed-upon fee--limited rights to your intellectual property and your successful system of doing business to individuals who are enthusiastic about your company and its products. 

In order to be rea

We live in fast-paced, ever-changing times. Nothing stays the same for long. Your customers are bombarded with information all day every day, and every day their attention span grows shorter. 

I know you're busy. You've got lots of balls in the air. As an entrepreneur, you nearly always have a crisis somewhere demanding your time and energy. Believe me, I know.

It's not easy to keep your customers in the forefront of your awareness all the time, but get this: While you're not paying attention to your customers, they could be drifting toward your competitors. If you don't do something now, you could lose them for good.

Keeping your brand fresh and lively is critical to your long-term success. If you make a few simple practices a part of your regular routine, customer drift-off will not turn into an emergency demanding your full attention.

What are some of the things you can do on a normal basis to keep your brand aflame?

A value proposition is a clear statement to your customers about what they can expect when they do business with you. It tells them why they would want to buy from you and not from your competitors. In short, its your promise to your customers.

The headline for your value proposition should be compelling, and it should be prominent on every page of your website. It needs to be brief, powerful, and focused on your customer. 

Keep the language simple and clear, use as few words as possible, and never, never, never use jargon. Use short words, not long ones.

Research has shown that people read only six words of any headline. If its longer than six words, they will read the first three words and the last three words, so youve got to make those six words count.

If you think because its short, your value proposition headline will be quick to write, think again. While it might come quickly and easily for you in a flash of inspiration, one master copywriter was said to have spent an entire week on writing the headline and the first paragraph of a sales piece.

The headline for your value proposition should answer the question, As your customer, what can I expect from your company?

To answer that question, you will need to get back to basics again.
 

One of the chief aims of your marketing strategies is to make your brand more recognizable to your target audience and your customers, and you will be better able to do that if you have exclusive legal rights.
 
If you discover that another company is using your trademarked brand name--which you can do by means of online alerts--you can inform them of your ownership of the name and ask them to stop using it. We talk more about this in another video.

Once basic protections are in place, you can focus on strengthening your brand.
 
You fortify your brand when you engage your customers. As we mentioned earlier, your brand exists only in your customers minds, and the more you interact with those customers, both online and offline, the more real your brand becomes for them.
 
Never let a comment to one of your blog posts remain long without a reply, for instance, and always respond to reviews, especially negative ones. A failure to answer will only weaken your brand.

Remember, too, that when youre on line, your target audience is watching for your response, so keep it professional and friendly. Above all, seek to repair any damage that might have been done.

Every time you post something online, whether you send out an email, put up a new blog post, or comment on social media, aim to give your target audience content that is valuable for them. Send out facts and tips that relate to your business, but as you do so, be real. 

In other words, be yourself. People like to know theyre dealing with real people, not just faceless companies. They'll be more likely to become your loyal customers if they can relate to you as a human being. 
 

One of the best-known--and simplest--ways to monitor your brands reputation is to sign up for Google Alerts. Set up search parameters, and Google will send you email notices when your brand is mentioned online. Google Alerts are completely free and easy to use.

As your alerts start rolling in, you might notice that some of those postings dont need your attention. You could flag those results as irrelevant, which narrows your search and minimizes the number of emails you will get about online mentions of your brand.

You can also set up alerts about your competitors, to make sure you stay one step ahead of them.

Google isnt the only search service out there that can help you to monitor your brands reputation.
 
Talkwalker Alerts, for instance, has a look and feel similar to older versions of Google Alerts, and its free if you have fewer than a hundred alerts. Their engineers filter out irrelevant search results for you--things like duplicates and spam--and they also encourage their users to let them know about ideas for any other features they would like to see.
  
Social Mention, as the name implies, searches for mentions of your brand on various social media. IFTTT--which stands for If Then, Then That--will not only conduct searches based on your parameters, but also will perform basic tasks triggered by your search results.

Mention, another service, offers advanced monitoring and robust searches across the internet and social media. Public relations firms use Meltwater News to stay on top of their clients PR campaigns, and Bloomberg Professional offers search alerts for the financial industry.