Branding is the topic of this month's marketing discussion. We're
going to look at some ways you can create a recognizable,
successful brand name for your business. While this article is
somewhat short, I believe it will effectively teach you how to get
started on your own branding campaign.
What Is a
Brand? What is Branding? Is it a logo? Is it a slogan?
Something intangible? It's all of that, and more. Branding tells
who you are, what you do, it sums up your company in a heartbeat.
It is how you are perceived by your customers. It's a combination
of visual aspects such as your logo, slogan, color scheme, web site
design, autosignature, as well as the intangibles (but very real)
things like customer service, your professional manner of
communication, and your product's perceived value (more about this
later). Branding is also differentiating yourself from your
competition, showing others that you have "what it takes" and are a
top-notch vendor. Showing them that your brand is better, and by
golly, it will benefit them to have it. It also does some of the
work for you, once established; imagine not having to explain to
your prospect who you are, what you do, and why they should buy
from you - your instantly recognizable brand takes care of THAT
little demon for you, saving you HOURS of time in your "identity
marketing" - so you can spend time focusing on sales rather than
giving your history. Your reputation will precede you.
How To
Create A Brand To get started branding, write a Mission
Statement. It doesn't have to be a tome, but it needs to cover
everything you intend to do to make your company stand out. Such as
"We, Company X, want to be the Number One source for Item X." While
this sounds generic, it is a very good start. But expand on it -
explain (in short, concise statements) HOW you will do it. Stellar
customer service? A certain "ingredient" in your products? A
certain, consistent feature? What will you do to become the famous
"Brand X"? Next, decide what it is, exactly, that you are branding.
Is it your commitment to your customers, a specific quality
standard, or both? List your business' key features and benefits,
and what sets you apart from your competitors. Third, identify your
market, just like you would in your business plan. Coin a phrase or
name, it doesn't have to be a "real" word - get creative!
"Posertrax" wasn't a word until I made it one. :) Create a slogan
or tagline that sums up your specialty. "Music & Sound FX for
Posimators" is mine. Finally, create a logo for your brand. While
the logo itself is not your brand, it should be memorable,
something that you can impress upon your prospects. It should
instantly associate your brand to those familiar with it. Give it
impact. It should NOT be complex, and should be able to be used
consistently on all of your print and digital communications - pay
attention to colors and gradients, lettering. Don't make it too
hard to read if you include text.
How To Use A Brand
Consistent and repeated use of your brand will burn it into the
hearts and minds of your audience. To do this, put your tagline,
logo, and company name together. You can also use your URL if you
wish (and if it's something short and catchy). Let's call this your
"Brand Identifier". Use it in everything you create - websites,
brochures, business cards, flyers, ads, newsletters. You get the
idea. Doing this will reinforce your brand. It's been said that
once something is seen an average of seven times by a person, they
will remember it. In marketing and promoting your brand, you must
find a way to get repeated exposure (without spamming, now!) of
your Brand Identifier. There are a few good ways to do this on
Renderosity. One is to create Free Stuff, and incorporate your
Brand Identifier into your thumbnail, read me file, and other
elements that are in your item. This will help you later should you
decide to sell products. You can also create a banner ad if you are
a Marketplace Merchant. Use your Identifier in this also. The best
placement for your Brand Identifier is at the top of your product
thumbnail. (Going back to a convention in the music industry where
the band's name was at the top of the album so as to be seen easily
in the store's record bins). Then below that, you've got your
product name and image. Make sure that the logo is the same size
and placement on all your thumbnails. Make a Master Template in
Photoshop or other image editor that supports layers. Make the
Brand Identifier the top layer, so that it can be seen above the
graphics when flattened. Non-graphical ways to use your brand are
in your forum posts. Use your autosignature (or sig file) with
every post you make. A sig file is just a few lines with your name,
company name if any, tagline, and web site URL. For example: Donnie
Christianson Posertrax Music & Sound FX for Posimators
www.posertrax.com Simple and to the point, but it sums up what I do
without being intrusive advertising. Providing the URL nearly
guarantees a curious reader will click on it, and thus be exposed
to your well-put-together branding on your site. You can also add a
secondary slogan. I use one at the end of my product descriptions
and promotions rather than my sig file. This is strictly a personal
preference, so use whichever method feels comfortable to you. My
secondary slogan is "All movies need sound - make yours with
Posertrax!". I use it to close every advertisement or new product
announcement. Once your brand is established, that same perception
rolls over to any new products or service you introduce to the
market. "Oh, here the new Widget from Company X! And it's just as
cool as their other stuff!" Good branding will add that perceived
value to you and your products. To maintain your brand, you must
live up to that perception - don't just blow hot air - back it up.
Providing what you promise, and in fact, delivering more, will
establish you as "Brand X" in your niche market. A successful brand
name has done its job of introducing you to the prospect. It has
already presold you. Now you can concentrate on expanding your
products and closing sales. Go forth and Brand! --silver Donnie
Christianson's monthly marketing column gives you tips, techniques,
and insight into the business end of the Marketplace. Donnie is the
author of
Marketing
for Merchants, an ebook that will teach you how to create and
market a successful product to the Poser Community.
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