Eight Tips for Becoming a Leading Brand

How would you feel if someone invited you to an event at a mall, but when you arrived you couldn’t figure out where to go?

That’s precisely what prospects feel like when they visit your website or customer service “support space” and can’t figure out what the @#$%$^% is going on there! Prospects who have taken the time to try and talk with you end up in frustration because there is no logical order to your branding. They will not be back soon.

Here are some practical ideas for how to start and sustain meaningful communications:

1) Be creative. Do not expect prospects or your customers to find your brand interesting on its own merit. Use a creative approach to your show and tell, such as an illustrative video with voice-over.

2) Be direct. Know what your top three to five points are that distinguish your brand from all others and present these points in a logical fashion. Use every-day language that everyone can understand, from the technical director to the CEO.

3) Be logical. Order your website in the most simple way possible, from the first-time prospect’s perspective. Imagine what someone feels like the first time they visit the site. Place things in a simple and logical order to make it easy for users to find what they are looking for.

4) Be different. If you can’t differentiate your brand from all others—meaning it’s like every other brand on the market—then you might want to rethink your brand offering, or you may quickly become a commodity. Being unique gives you the differentiation that builds a brand faster than any other dimension.

5) Be careful. Don’t be given to exaggeration. As the economy has worsened, we’ve noticed many marketers increase their product claims beyond what they can deliver. Prospects and customers alike always feel better with a brand that they can rely on to tell the truth.