In other words are you trying to rely completely on direct response to your ads (short term), or are you creating a broad and lasting awareness in the minds of your target audience?  Without a strong attempt to brand yourself you will need to constantly advertise your goods and services.

By branding, I’m referring to the act of exposing prospects to your name, logo, tag line, etc. on a frequent basis, and to the extent that people are already aware of you when they are ready to purchase a product or service that you offer. (NOTE:  I offer a complimentary e-book – “The Basics of Branding.” see sidebar for details.)

For best results a business needs to expose each prospect to the same ad impression at least three times within a week. By running a very strong campaign over the course of a month you can easily create a very lasting effect on the people you would like to have as your customers. One thing to aware of, consumers are bombarded with so many messages, they tend to block out some messages. Consider this when planning your marketing strategy.  There are many different formulas that media buyers will use to determine how many billboards, radio spots or online  pre-video rolls to purchase to reach the consumer effectively.

It is important to maintain continuity through use of the same logo, business name, or tag line in all your promotions so your targets are receiving the same impression with each exposure, regardless of the exact mode of delivery.

Radio, television and outdoor are by far the most effective means of brand creation available. These formats can be reinforced with online marketing, direct marketing and social networking.  The former creates awareness while the latter hopefully creates “brand ambassadors.”

You want people to be aware of your name, logo, or tag line and associate this awareness with your products and services well before they even need what you have to offer. What can you start doing right now to see that your prospective customers are exposed to the same message at least three times over a seven-day period?

It’s what your prospects hear from and about you. From what they hear about you in the media to how your customer service team handles incoming complaints. Are former customers likely to speak kindly about you? Are you and your employees pleasant when you speak? It’s the feeling your prospect gets in all their dealings with you. From their satisfied or unsatisfied interaction with you to the relationship building activities you carry out.

Do customers and prospective customers feel they can trust you? Do they feel your honesty? It’s the pleasant or unpleasant scents that get associated with you covering everywhere from the scent of your product or facility, to even your employees. Do customers get a scent of cleanliness? And lastly it’s also the tastes that get associated with you. From the taste of your product (if it’s a product meant to be tasted) to the quality of coffee or tea you serve.

Your brand encompasses everything about you. Hence you can see why it’s important to always put your best foot forward. Bottom line, branding is essential to establishing your identity in the marketplace and consistency is the key to effective doing that. Take time to examine with your senses what message you are giving your customers.
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The undertaking of branding may seem scary; however there is strong proof that branding is worth the effort. Listed here are some benefits of a strong brand.
*Branding is what gives your company value and separates you from your competitors.
*Enhanced perceived value allows for top pricing and shelters you from price competition.
*Branding will provide protection in times of negative press.
*A strong brand enables you to launch new products and services more quickly and cost effectively. Your brand will come to pass with or without your effort. Branding and managing a brand is tough work. Here are some no-nonsense guidelines on how to get started.
*To succeed, you’ll need to get everyone involved from top management on down.
*Research the successful competitors. Study their communications and how they position themselves. *Study what values are most significant to customers. Develop a questionnaire and interview key customers and prospects.
*Develop a strategy from the information you gathered. It must be achievable and differentiating. *Leverage brand strategy by integrating marketing communications. Check for consistency of all communications from every department. Sending a cohesive message will build brand equity.
*Evaluate and measure performance. Make changes as needed but be patient.

Humans think with their eyes. A UCLA study proves that 85% of all decisions are made with our eyes. That’s right: the visual you have has the most impact.

If your personal brand is not professional and congruent, attractive and attracting you will be passed over – guaranteed. To be competitive, to have a greater influence on others, to attract more business and be more successful it’s essential that you develop a well-thought-out personal brand.

Before you sell anything — your product, company or service — you sell yourself first. Shift the balance of power in your favor. When you brand yourself correctly, you are seen as more desirable and in demand. Now take large, successful companies for instance. They understand the power of “branding” a product. They spend a lot of time, money and energy to create a “brand” that is eye catching and appealing enough to sell their product through to market. They want to make sure that the buyer has a strong connection with that brand.

Now think of yourself as a company with one employee — you. How much time, money and energy have you spent in developing a “personal brand” that is unique enough to sell through to your market? An individual who has a well-defined personal brand has more status and a tremendous advantage over the competition in the market place. With a great personal brand, you are already half sold and thus far above the competition.

Step 1: Examine the Competition

One of the keys to creating a successful brand image is to separate yourself from your competition. You will need to know how consumers see your competition. You need to recognize how your competitors differentiate themselves from others. Also, you should know your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. Your business can benefit from knowing this information by learning from their weaknesses, and learning how to differentiate your company from the competition.

Step 2: Identify Your Strengths

Now that you know your competition’s weaknesses you can begin to focus on your company’s strengths. Perform a target market analysis, learn from it, and use it to your advantage. This is a useful tool to confirm your company’s strengths are in fact important to your target market. Once you’ve realized your strengths, and what strengths are important to customers, you can think about ways to successfully market these to the public and involve them in your branding campaign.

Step 3: Know Your Customer

Learn more about the customer. Know their purchasing behavior. How often do they buy? Do they buy only during sales or promotions? Do they buy an array of products or services or just a select few? These are questions you should ask to better market to your customers. Also, know your customer’s lifestyles, needs, mindsets, and attitudes. Knowing and working with these personality traits are also key to marketing success.

Branding is a marketing technique that has the potential to elevate your business to the top. It involves helping your customers to form a recognizable association with you. Link your business with a design, logo, slogan, and/or color and observe the positive results.

Brands create a feeling of familiarity. If customers have seen your logo, insignia, or company name, they are more likely to continue to select your product or service. Also, they are more apt to suggest them to others. Referrals through word of mouth can be an extremely powerful form of advertising.

A brand helps possible customers remember your business. People may know little about your philosophy or reputation. However, if they can recognize your brand, the chances are greater that they will do business with you. Branding creates memory in the mind of the public.

When the public remembers your brand and familiarizes themselves and others with it, they will come back. Customers are more likely to remain devoted to your business and are apt to buy further products or services from you based on the brand of the initial product with which they had success.

People are willing to pay more for products or services that they highly regard. This means that customers are likely to pass up cheaper prices with competitors if your brand has made a positive impression on them. If clients believe in your product, they will pay for it.

When you have distinguished your business through branding, the marketing has the capability of becoming so profound, that little else is necessary. Developing your brand takes time and effort, but after it has been solidified, and after customers have had the chance to identify with it, your sales can increase naturally.

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This is part of a 12 Chapter complimentary ebook on branding that will be made available in mid February.