How to Build a Brand, Not Just a Business

To many, businesses and brands are not only synonymous, we mostly think there is nothing that distinguished them both, but there is a huge difference between building a brand and building a business, Today I want to talk you through the initial steps that you can take to build a brand, not just a business.

Please note that building a brand is not something that happens overnight. It’s something that evolves over time and will continue to evolve as your business grows. There are however steps that you can take initially in order to build a brand that sets you apart from others in your field. Follow me as I mention some of these steps below.

1. GET CLEAR ON YOUR STORY

The first is to get clear on your story. Stories give a brand personality. Your story is what makes you different. Your story will provide an emotional connection with your audience.

You might be thinking, but I haven’t got a story. Believe me, we all have a story. The best way to start to build your story is to think about your why. Why are you in business? More often than not, it’s because you have been where your ideal clients are now. You’ve been through what they are going through and you’ve come out of the other side stronger. You now want to help others to learn from your mistakes.

2. DEFINE YOUR FEATURES

The second part of building an online brand is to know what makes you different. What sets you apart from others in your industry. Yes, your story will set you apart but what is it about your business that sets you apart? I set myself apart from other fashion designers by utilising my twitter marketing expertise to help increase my clients visibility.

3. CREATE A BRAND MESSAGE

Next, you want to have a clear brand message. A brand message is something that I go into more in this post, however, in short, a brand message is a clear and concise statement that explains what you do, who you do it for and why or how you do it.

For example, my brand message is:

I Love seeing youths make big moves, I am concerned about the high unemployment rate, I don’t want the youths to rely on the failed government, I am a success influencer.

The first bit is the who, the second is the what and the final part is the how.

You want to make sure that your brand message is integrated in all that you do. Your website copy, your social media posts, emails to your email list etc… Ensure it’s consistent across the board.

4. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Before you build and market your brand, you need to know who you are talking to. Too many business owners create content without knowing enough about their ideal clients and what their pain points are. As a result, their messaging comes across as unclear and this will confuse your audience.

5. FIRM UP YOUR OFFERINGS

As tempting as it is, you can’t be everything to everyone. It just doesn’t work. By trying to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no-one. Once you know who your ideal clients are and their pain points, come up with a signature offering that solves it for them.

Thanks for reading …. I hope this was helpful. Kindly share with your loved ones and follow me on Twitter