Building a solid brand for your business in the age of e-commerce
The sooner you know your brand’s unique selling point, the better your chances are to stand out from the crowd.
Cheshta Mann
Apr. 29, 2021
4-minute read
As many companies move online, the process of brand building is evolving in parallel with the technological evolution. Today, building a brand for your business goes far beyond just creating a good logo and picking the right brand colours. It involves establishing a unique online presence and finding ways to add value to your customers’ lives.
To make your brand a hit, think beyond the norms of getting the imagery or design right. Ask yourself: Why are you interested in this brand? How will it add value to your customers’ lives? Why would they choose your products and services over the competitors? Having a clear vision and answers to these questions not only creates a strong premise for your brand but also helps your customers understand why they should trust your business.
Here are 5 tips to help you build an effective digital brand for your business:
While having a digital presence is part of every modern entrepreneur's stategy, whether they get it right — or even get it done — can be a leading indicator of future success.
While your business is still forming is the time to experiment and innovate with your digital presence. Take advance of being "small" by trying new things, experimenting with innovative approaches, and, where necessary, “failing fast.” Ensure you measure your outcomes so that you keep what works and stop doing what proves to be ineffective.
Once you've landed on a working formula for projecting your brand online, dial up the volume by bringing in more traffic through advertising and organic promotion. You can repeat this cycle of experimentation, measurement, and refinement over and over to ensure your brand and online presence always remains fresh and in-tune with your client's expectations.
Be a pioneer in the industry by carving out a niche for your brand. Not only should your niche give clarity about your brand’s message, but also help you focus on an untapped yet profitable business area.
Start by jotting down your areas of interest, researching your competition and finding out what they could have done better. Devise strategies for how to fill those gaps and bring value to your customers. When you’re ready to create your business plan, conduct a SWOT analysis. Writing a solid business plan will help you get funding from potential investors.
You’ll know that you’ve successfully carved out your niche when your customers tell you how much they rely on your products and service and how they can’t get what you provide anywhere else. If you’re uncertain about whether you’ve achieved the reputation you’re seeking to have with your customers, don’t be afraid to ask clients either informally or through a “voice of the customer” survey.
3. Give back to the community
In the age of conscious consumerism, customers are more inclined to trust brands that support special causes and are socially responsible. With this shift in consumer behaviour, sustainable businesses, businesses that think beyond making profits, and businesses that display a strong corporate social responsibility tend to maintain longer relationships with their customers.
To keep it authentic, share how your products and services will align with your sustainability goals. Identify an issue that fits your brand and find out how you can be part of the solution.
With so many worthy causes and important social issues at the forefront of everyone’s mind, it’s tempting to try to make an impact everywhere, all at once. While larger businesses may have the capital to do this, a small business should pick a single cause and devote its full energy towards it. This not only helps to focus your finite time and resources, but it will also help your customers associate you with a single issue, which will increase their familiarity and appreciation for both your business and your chosen cause.
Before you spark conversations with your target customers, identify the brand voice that you’ll use to connect with them. Will it be professional, semi-casual, friendly, informative, or conversational? No matter what business you’re in, it all boils down to choosing the one that represents your brand’s personality.
People love it when businesses create content that connects with them at an emotional level. So publish content about your upcoming product or service; conduct a live session to gather feedback on your offerings; or share instructions or relevant information about your products. Stay in touch with your audience and engage with them using your unique brand voice.
5. Start with one online platform
Many business owners make the rookie mistake of trying to master every social media platform all at once. This may not only leave your prospective customers confused but also negatively affect your conversion rate.
When you start your business, focus on using the right platform to reach out to your audience and build brand loyalty. For example, a great way for B2B companies to showcase their brand story and share updates is through LinkedIn Pages. The same approach may not be right for B2C companies which may prefer to develop targeted relationships with their customers through a less-formal platform like Instagram. Once you’ve built a solid and loyal customer base, tell them that they can follow your business on other digital platforms.
Written by
Cheshta Mann
Cheshta Mann is a freelance writer based in London, Ontario. She works with a diverse range of clients across industries. With her financial background and a seven-year writing tenure, she takes pride in supporting content development for CIBC. Cheshta is also pursuing her career in the accounting field.
