What does your brand say about you?

Whether your business is small, medium or large, branding should be one of the most important factors to your business, when establishing or re-establishing, your presence in the market place. Branding can be developed from a multiple of influences, both of internal and external nature. From an internal prospective, your brand is your promise to your customer, it’s the values your company believes in and usually ties back into the grass-roots as to why the business was originated. Your brand image should provide customers with a certainty about what they can expect from your products and services, and it often showcases a point of difference from that of your competitors.

The external component of brand power is increasingly trusted with the development, and widely used, Social Media “Looking for recommendations” platforms. These types of platforms are becoming increasingly relevant in the testimonial or referral space, as consumers look to the internet for the good, the bad and the ugly from their family, friends or colleagues. The experience and reviews shared in the marketplace from your current customers should not be dismissed and we would strongly encourage you to reply, in a respectable time frame addressing the comments left for your business.

Consumers commentary is an opportunity for you to engage and re-connect with your customers and invite them to be part of the process, for better or for worse. There are no one-size fits all when replying and a dedicated team member should be held accountable to return any comments made, across all platforms with in a timely manner. Consumers will not only appreciate this, but will feel more inclined to have an even warmer experience with your brand regardless of the original comments made.

Some points to remember would be that; nothing is ever permanent and struggling brands can revive, just as much as strong brands can crash. Branding is way of reminding both potential and existing customers that you are the best choice, when they need to acquire your industry products or services. Branding heavily relies on a continued message to be moulded into precisely the perception, both internally and externally, that you are looking for as the business owner.

Adllins Media top tip, remember that perception is reality in the eyes of your consumer.