Guest post by Dylan Berger.
Branding is one of the most important aspects of business success. Building a strong brand creates awareness and credibility, making your company top of mind when your customers and prospects think about the types of products and services you offer.
Image credit: Patrik Michalicka on Unsplash
For any B2B company, it takes planning and a solid strategy to establish a successful brand. In fact, 54% of B2B companies have a brand program to measure their brand perceptions.
If you’re challenged to improve your brand’s image with a limited budget to invest, here are five of the most impactful strategies.
1. Start with the Foundation
When working to establish a robust brand image for your B2B company, start with these questions:
- Why does your brand exist and why are you passionate about it?
- What elements of your brand set it apart from your competitors?
- What makes the products or services you offer special?
Once you have these answers, it’s important to expand on them as you make your offerings more widely known. Think about the attributes of your target audience. Here are some of factors to consider:
- Goals
- Pain points
- Motivations
- Influencers
- Brand affinities
Once you have thought about your company and consumers on a deeper level, you can begin to transform your brand’s image accordingly.
2. Pay Attention to Your Brand Online
For B2B companies, it’s likely that many of your prospective customers find you by searching for your business online and on social media. With that in mind, your online brand image should establish a connection with your target audience, reflecting your brand’s values and what you post online.
Website
According to research, 60% of B2B customers are likely to make repeat purchases. Optimize your website to easily give your customers a way to find you and come back for more.
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An optimized website design should also reflect your brand’s personality and business. Virtually all potential clients will research your firm before making their final purchase decision, making it essential to design your business website strategically.
Social Media
Social media is an excellent way to showcase your brand’s image. To establish yourself as an industry expert, post links to helpful resources and scholarly articles. To move prospects through the sales funnel, client success stories and user-generated content can go a long way.
3. Start a Blog (If You Haven’t Already)
Blogging can have numerous benefits to your brand’s image because it allows you to share your knowledge and build a connection with your audience. It’s also extremely valuable for SEO. 76% of all B2B websites include a blog, and B2B marketers who have blogs get 67% more leads than those who don’t.
For example, Advantage Outfitters blogs to successfully raises awareness of its brand image. The company posts content about how its customers can get the best deals on work van equipment. In turn, it displays the brand’s knowledge, portraying the company as trustworthy and smart.
Posting content regularly can increase organic traffic, giving your customers a reason to return to your website.
4. Establish a Unique Value Proposition
Branding is about establishing a unique impression of your company. Creating a compelling and authentic brand starts with knowing your unique value proposition (UVP). To define who you are and what you stand for, you must engage in an honest evaluation of your company.
Consider what makes your company’s products or services not just desirable but also distinctive. What do you offer that your competitors don’t? What promises can you make behind your offers – and what values do you stand by?
Once you define your values, let those guide you in every decision you make. From there, you can successfully retain an organic brand image.
5. Be Human
It’s essential to think of your brand as a person, but on a bigger scale. Often, B2B companies think too broadly about their brand – making it vague and forgettable. Think about the emotional side of your business. Your brand message resonates with your prospective customers when they feel connected to your product or service because you personalized it for them.
In fact, 80% of consumers will purchase from brands that offer personalized experiences. So, make your customers feel special by tracking their habits to tailor their experiences. Using personalization in digital marketing can do wonders, and it showcases your dedication to bringing your offers to them in a special way.
Taking Your Brand’s Image to the Next Level
Once you incorporate the right tactics, tools, and techniques to take your brand’s image to the next level, make sure you’re consistent across all platforms. Sending conflicting messages can lead to negative brand impressions and hamper your business growth.
Staying true to your brand values and prioritizing the customer experience will make it easier for you to maintain a strong and positive brand image in the long run.
Dylan Berger is a digital marketer and SEO at WebFX, where he writes about B2B and B2C marketing. He studied advertising in university but is a life-long student of philosophy, design and art.