Suz Pathmanathan
You’ve got a business, and that’s awesome! But there’s a difference between creating a business and building a brand. Whereas a business is transactional, exchanging products or services for money, a brand is pure psychological buy-in. It is one of the most critical steps for giving your customers a reason to care, trust you, and remain loyal.
This blog will give you some fundamentals on how to create an emotional connection with your customers on Brikl.
1. Define Your Brand Purpose and Values
The foundation of any strong brand is a clear brand purpose—the reason your company exists beyond just making a profit. This is often referred to as your "why." According to a survey by Harvard Business Review, companies with a defined sense of purpose grow faster than their competitors, as they can better align their brand with customer expectations.
You can reflect this in your store. Every store is a reflection of the values of the brand you’re representing, so ask yourself:
- What is the mission of my brand?
- What problems does my product or service solve?
- How does my brand make a positive impact?
- What kind of visual information do you want to represent with your brand logo and palette?
These foundational aspects will influence everything from your messaging to how you interact with customers. Aligning your brand purpose with the values of your target audience creates an emotional connection, which is key to long-term success.
2. Identify Your Target Audience
One of the most important steps in brand building is knowing who you're building it for. Identifying your target audience helps you tailor your messaging, visual identity, and marketing strategy to resonate with the right people.
Start by creating buyer personas—detailed representations of your ideal customers. Using buyer personas can make your marketing efforts 2-3 times more effective.
When defining your personas, write down:
- Demographics (age, gender, location)
- Psychographics (interests, behaviors, values)
- Pain points and challenges your brand can solve
How will your brand story resonate with all of the above and what kind of tone do you need to use when telling it? You wouldn’t speak the same way to your mother or father as you would to your best friend, so think about the tone of voice and information you want to relay to your chosen audience.
3. Research Your Competitors
To position your brand effectively, you need to a) be a snowflake b) know who you’re up against. Conducting competitor research allows you to see what’s working in your industry and identify gaps or areas for differentiation. Look for answers to questions such as:
- What are their strengths and weaknesses?
- How are they positioning themselves in the market?
- What kind of messaging do they use?
- What makes you unique?
This research will give you insights into how to position your brand differently and create a unique value proposition (UVP). A strong UVP is one of the best ways to attract and retain customers by showing how your product is better than the competition.
4. Create Your Brand Identity
Way back at the first point, we mentioned considering how you want to visually convey your brand message. Your brand identity is the visual and verbal expression of your brand, including elements such as your logo, color scheme, and tone of voice. And keep in mind your personas the entire time! For young consumers, think playful and modern typography, colors and imagery. For older audiences, think sophisticated and minimal, in some cases even conservative branding, and modulate the tone of your copy accordingly.
These elements help you establish consistency across all platforms and communication channels, making your brand more recognizable.
Key elements of brand identity include:
- Logo: A well-designed logo is a critical part of brand recognition. Keep it simple, memorable, and aligned with your brand's values.
- Color Palette: Colors evoke emotions and can influence perceptions of your brand. Choose colors that reflect your brand's personality (e.g., blue for trust, red for excitement).
- Typography: Fonts play a role in setting the tone. Are you modern and sleek? Or classic and sophisticated?
- Tone of Voice: How your brand communicates verbally is just as important as how it looks. Make sure your messaging aligns with your brand’s values—whether formal, conversational, or humorous.
5. Develop Your Brand Story
Storytelling is a powerful tool for creating an emotional connection with your audience. A compelling brand story gives your audience a reason to care about your brand and trust you.
Your brand story should include:
- Why your brand exists
- How it began
- The obstacles you've overcome
- What you stand for today
Share your brand story on your website, social media, and other platforms to humanize your brand and build trust.
6. Be Consistent Across All Platforms
Consistency is key when building a brand. Whether you're posting on social media, sending out an email campaign, or designing a product label, ensure that your brand messaging and visuals are aligned across all platforms.
Inconsistent branding can confuse your audience and dilute your message. According to Forbes, presenting a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. Develop brand guidelines that include your tone of voice, color palette, and logo usage to maintain consistency.
7. Leverage Social Media and Content Marketing
Social media is a powerful tool for brand building, allowing you to interact directly with your audience and build a community around your brand. Platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter offer opportunities for storytelling, customer engagement, and showcasing your brand’s personality.
Additionally, content marketing can establish your brand as an industry leader. According to Demand Metric, content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing but generates about 3 times as many leads. High-quality blogs, videos, podcasts, and infographics allow you to demonstrate your expertise and provide value to your audience.
Some strategies include:
- Sharing behind-the-scenes content to humanize your brand
- Posting user-generated content to build community
- Creating educational blog posts or guides related to your industry
8. Build Brand Loyalty
A brand isn’t just about attracting customers—it’s about keeping them. Building brand loyalty is crucial for long-term success. According to HubSpot, a loyal customer is worth 10 times their first purchase.
You can build brand loyalty by:
- Providing excellent customer service
- Offering personalized experiences
- Engaging with your audience on social media
- Running loyalty programs or offering exclusive deals to repeat customers
When your audience feels valued, they are more likely to become brand advocates and spread the word about your business.
9. Evolve as Necessary
Brand building isn’t a one-time event. As your company grows, so should your brand. Stay attuned to market trends, customer feedback, and changes within your industry. Be prepared to make adjustments to your brand identity, tone, and strategy as needed.
It’s never a case of “build it and they will come”. Leave that to the movies! Building a brand takes time, effort, and consistency. By defining your purpose, understanding your audience, crafting a compelling story, and maintaining consistency, you can create a brand that resonates with customers and stands out in the market.
Remember, the key to successful branding is staying true to your values while adapting to the evolving needs of your audience.
Sources:
- Harvard Business Review: [Why Purpose-Driven Companies Are More Successful](https://hbr.org)
- HubSpot: [The Importance of Buyer Personas](https://blog.hubspot.com)
- Forbes: [Consistency in Branding](https://www.forbes.com)
- Demand Metric: [The ROI of Content Marketing](https://www.demandmetric.com)
