A strong brand can do wonders for your business. Apple, Starbucks, Google, McDonald's - they're all instantly recognisable names associated with strong visual identities. However, successful brands are built on more than just a logo. They're the sum of everything they offer their customers, from their product and customer service quality, to how they treat their employees and act in the wider community. These elements are like building blocks; if they each perform and work well together, they can make a huge difference to what your customers think and say about you.
Glazerite's Marketing Manager, Michelle Wright, has some advice on how to get your brand working harder.
"Good branding helps you stand out from your competitors. It doesn't have to cost a lot - look for fabricators or profile companies who provide marketing support as part of their overall supplier package, especially those who combine digital methods with more traditional channels, like brochures.
So where do you start? Behind every great brand is a good understanding of the target audience. Once you know who your customers and prospects really are, you can improve how you communicate with them. To establish who you are as a brand, think about what makes you different to your competitors and how you want to position yourself in the marketplace. Build a company vision and values on this, and then share it with your employees so they each know how they fit in and where you're heading - it'll make a real impact on your customer service.
The next stage is to develop a 'brand promise', a few words describing who you are, what you do, and what customers should expect from you. Make it achieveable and continue to deliver on it.
Develop your brand identity with a logo that you can use across every customer touchpoint, from workwear to invoices, and define a tone of voice that matches how you want to address customers in words and in person.
Reinforcing your brand across everything customers see, read and hear will help them remember you. Backing it up with great service means they'll recommend you.
Glazerite can help you to develop and share you company persona, by providing you with essential business tools ranging from a logo to a fully-branded, easy-to-use website, as well as social media content you can share with your customers.
Personal recommendation still drives business. Savvy consumers will research planned purchases via the internet, reading online reviews and asking for details of installers via Facebook for example. So that you can be found easily online, we can help improve where your website appears in search engines, with advice on Search Engine Optimisation.
We can also support you with more traditional sales support methods like brochures and drop cards, and - if you have the space - showrooms, a tool increasingly popular with homeowners wanting to see products first hand. To highlight your work when youre in front of a customer, we've also recently launched a unique, iPad friendly sales presenter tool which can be fully tailored with your company branding.
With the right brand and your strategy, you can take your business to the next level. Talk to us today to find out how we can help you.