Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Given the power of social media, branding is everything today. Even before Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and any of the other digital platforms existed, branding was key to running a successful business or project.
Branding is literally what gives you a name or a label, what characterizes you or your project and separates it from others, and what makes you stand out. That’s why any marketer will value branding enormously, because it matters what words and messages you use to describe what you’re trying to sell.
But now, in 2022, things are still changing at a rapid pace. So what are the five things you need to know to build a powerful brand?
1. Definition
The first step is to look inward and determine what it is you want to sell or be known for. What is your brand? Or what do you want it to be? Do you sell a product or provide a service? Are you the product or service? What industry do you work in? What message do you want to communicate to your audience? And who is your audience?
Another thing that is key is to be very clear about the “why” — that is, what is the main reason why you decided to start or set up your own business, also known as your purpose. Taking this into account will help you to establish the steps to follow to reach your goal or meet your objective.
Related: 6 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Successfully Brand Themselves
2. Network
Once you know your audience and your product or service, the key is to start networking and expand your contact list. This will allow you to meet potential mentors or partners, or simply spread the word about your product or service. It is key for all entrepreneurship or business that the entrepreneur relates with someone who has already been on his way, that is, who has already overcome the possible obstacles that may arise in the way to the person who decides to start a business.
It is also important that the people who accompany the entrepreneur have the same spirit, fight for the same causes and are committed to achieve the objectives. Because if you do not have a proper working team, accomplishing your goal will be more complicated.
3. Reaching the public
Once you have defined your brand and expanded your network of contacts, you can contact the media, influencers and, in general, any other key people in your industry to ask them for informal interviews or provide them with free products or services to try and share on their social networks. This can be a win-win opportunity for them if they can also share their own product or service with you.
Related: How to Optimize Your Branding
4. Grow your social media presence
With a defined message, partners, contacts and potential collaborators, it’s time to focus on growing your social media presence by generating content in advance to make sure your platforms post frequently about your products or services.
Moreover, it is important to engage with your audience and learn from people you admire about how they target their own followers so you can do the same. It is crucial that your audience grows as other people use your products or services so that growth is exponential. It may also be necessary to have a good marketing campaign, for which you could hire a good digital marketing advertising agency in order to reach a larger number of people.
5. Mindset
To achieve any work to be done, whether simple or complicated, it is essential that the person or group of people involved have a good mindset. We must take into account that there will always be obstacles that must be overcome. Some of these obstacles may be easy but others will be complicated and it is for these types of obstacles that the person must have a good mindset — to not give up in the first try and to not give up in the face of any adversity. The right mindset is what will take you from where you are to where you want to be.
Related: 5 Strategies You Need to Build Your Brand
A message can always be perfected. So once you have a brand, a network, collaborators, a social media presence and the right mindset, you can go back to the drawing board and design another message to improve your brand, expand your audience, collaborate with more people and scale your reach.
These are very simple tips that are transferable to your project or brand regardless of the size or idea you have in mind. Have we missed any tips you’ve thought of when it comes to building a successful brand?
This article is from Entrepreneur.com
