As competition across industries increases, so do the demands of your customers and clients, making it vital for you to stand out in a crowded market.
A strong brand that highlights your unique value will help create a bond between you and your customers. The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a “Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s goods or services as distinct from those of other sellers.”
For small businesses, branding involves more than just symbols or design, and standing out takes more than just touting your great services.
They key to differentiating your business is not what you do, but HOW you do it. And “how” you do it is a direct reflection of your core values – the bedrock of a strong brand.
How you conduct your business is a powerful source of differentiation. When you connect your core values with the way your business operates you create emotional connection points with clients who share similar values. This is the foundation of brand loyalty.
Here are some guidelines to create connections with customers, and stand out from the crowd.
Be authentic. There is nothing worse than portraying behavior you think is attractive to patrons, but is inauthentic to who you are. Non-genuine behavior solely designed to impress cannot be maintained in the long term, and alienates customers.
Don’t be afraid to take risks. Some people might have thought that street signs, raffles, and open “street” parties would be hokey and out of place in a business center. But it worked for Olivo. If you want to live your values and incorporate them in the way you conduct your business, doing it right can never be wrong.
You can’t please everyone. So don’t try. Strong brands take a stand, and they don’t try to be all things to all people. The clients you attract and connect with will become your brand ambassadors and help you spread the word to other like-minded patrons.
Be consistent. Once your business is known for doing things a certain way, make sure you deliver on expectations each and every time.
In order for you t o be memorable, build customer loyalty and strengthen your brand, let your values shine through. You will stand out from the competition.
— Mary Rosenbaum, Your Career by Design