Every successful business knows that cultivating your brand is essential. After all, your brand is the 
hub of your business, and it is what people will use to recognize you, whether through colors, logos, slogans, packaging or anything else you dare to do.
Many companies have successfully cultivated their brand. You will recognize a Nike swoosh anywhere you go, and you can spot Amazon packaging from other boxes due to the smile. Your brand can achieve this success too.
If you want to cultivate your brand, you need to implement the following strategies.
Create brand standards
If you want to cultivate your brand, you must create a set of brand standards. These standards will be the Bible of your company, and it is what will set your brand apart from other companies and what will ensure consistency among your branding. Brand standards typically include company colors, such as the specific CMYK coding. This way, no matter if you’re designing a website or creating a brochure, the colors for your business will always be the same and not vary.
Brand standards will also have specifics about your logo. It will discuss sizing of the logo, placement of the logo, and any other information that is pertinent to your company’s logo. Again, this will ensure that your company’s logo remains consistent throughout all collateral.
Focus on existing customers
Your current customers are an asset to your company, so use them to your advantage. Be sure that you are keeping your current customers happy. When you do this, your customers will become advocates for your brand. They will share information about your company to others, whether through word of mouth or via social media. By targeting your existing customers and keeping them coming back consistently, you will enhance your brand.
Attract new customers
Although existing customers are brand advocates, new customers will keep your business thriving. Be sure to create special offers and promotions that attract new customers in order to boost sales. Plus, once you get these customers to become regulars, you’ve now added to your list of brand advocates, and your company’s success will continue to grow.
Excite your employees
Use your employees as brand advocates. You cannot force them to spread the word about your company, but you could make them want to do it on their own. By creating a great working environment and boosting employee morale, you can make your employees happy enough to constantly brag about your company and share company news with their friends and family members, and this is a great way to cultivate your company’s brand.
Brand yourself appropriately
Make sure that your branding makes sense. For example, if you are going to create a website, make sure the URL is in line with your company’s brand, whether you use the company’s name or a popular slogan. If the URL is too abstract, it will not help cultivate your branding, and it could also confuse your customers.
Partner with other businesses
Partnering with other businesses allows you to share resources. For example, if your company specializes in small business accounting or financial software, partner with another company that would have companies in need of your service, such as banking institutions or tax consultants. This way, you can share clients and earn business from one another, and it can also open the door to other partnerships.
Expand your market
Once you have successfully nabbed your market sector, move on to another. For example, if you are currently only focusing on local customers, try expanding your services to customers throughout your region. If your products or services were typically aimed at male customers, see if there’s a possibility to now market to women. The more you continue to expand your market, the more recognized your branding will become.
Network
Networking is one of your biggest assets as a business, and you want to use this to cultivate your brand. Attend events and trade shows in your industry and get your name and the company’s name out there. Be sure to bring plenty of branded business cards too as well as takeaway materials. If you’re a vendor at a trade show, be sure to brand your booth too. The more you can get your company’s brand out there, the more successful it will be.
Image credit: Awareness Marketing