The world is changing at such a phenomenally fast pace, it’s hard to keep up! Not only have technological advances changed how we all live (be honest, how long can you cope without your smartphone close by?) but there has also been a huge shift in cultural and social ideologies and preferences.
For businesses this means that client’s expectations have changed – not only
do they expect a fantastic product and service delivery, they are also looking to
purchase from businesses with whom they connect on a deeper level.
What is the driving force behind your business?
As a small business, you are already all about heart. No doubt the business has been built with your own blood, sweat and tears! What you need to do is ensure that your values permeate throughout the whole business.
What is your passion, what is the driving force behind your business? – Yes, of course, being profitable goes without saying, but what else made you set up the business in the first place? What need are you trying to fulfil? What matters to you?
“Profit is the product of an engaged workforce and a successful company, not the sole driver.”
Being clear about who you are enables those with shared values to connect with you. This in itself makes good business sense as it improves efficiency – the right clients will be attracted to you because you emulate what’s important to them – this is natural selection in terms of qualifying leads. What’s important to you? How do you want to come across? What do you want your clients to think about you?
Tell your story
Show the people behind your business as this is your uniqueness – the human element. Use photos of you and your team on your website and social channels and tell the audience your story.
It is in our DNA to want to ‘belong’, to make a connection and in order to engage with our audience we need to show our human side. It is people who truly
bring a brand to life so be authentic, be honest, be you.
The ultimate aim is to create brand ambassadors for your company – happy clients providing a constant stream of referrals.
Balance the heart with logic
The winning business combination is to balance logic with emotion – provide both tangible benefits of your product and/or service that make sense and appease the logical brain together with the elements that don’t necessarily make sense but make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
Consistency is the key so watch how your values translate into language and
‘character’ – how you come across from the very first interaction someone has with your brand all the way through the entire customer journey.
Be your brand
A brand is not just how a business looks but how it behaves – a brand literally helps bring your business to life. Your brand will guide the development of your products and/or services and the direction of your business. It shines a light which provides clarity and visibility within target audiences (Roger Pride, 2018).
If you need help with your business branding then get in touch. Call us on 01242 236600.
