B is for… Building A Brand Strategy (the dos and don’ts)

Before we get into the nitty gritty of this blog, we’re going to be lofty for a minute, and ask first – what actually is a brand?

Bear with us, because this may seem like an obvious question, but it’s funny how many people don’t actually know the answer. Bit like when someone says they’re a Senior Specialist Marketing Coordinator, and you pretend you know what it means, but you don’t (us neither, we made that job title up).

Your brand is everything that makes your company unique – its personality, identity and story. It may come to life through a name, a design or a feature (or all of the above), but it also goes beyond these things, because ultimately, it’s the soul of your business. And in the world of B2B, where you’re operating in a crowded marketplace, brand becomes even more vital. Having a strong brand differentiates you and articulates your why – why you do what you do, and why people need to buy from you.

If your brand is the foundation to your success, then your brand strategy is how you’re going to get there. It’s your game plan, how you’re going to set your brand apart from other B2B companies in your industry. Developing a brand strategy is critical to raising brand awareness, reaching out to potential B2B buyers, and enhancing your marketing campaigns. To achieve this, you will need to bear in mind some key dos and don’ts of building a strong brand strategy (or even better, ask someone like us to do it for you).

DO spend time creating and finessing your visions and core values

Yes, it may take a long time to get this right, but get it right you must.

Start by identifying your brand’s core purpose and how it aligns with the challenges and needs of your customers. Establish a mission and vision statement and use these to help shape the identity of your brand. Make sure everyone in business is involved, especially C-suite leaders and marketing teams.

Once you’ve cracked these, you can start bringing them to life by:

• Designing your brand logo
• Crafting a tagline
• Cultivating a good brand tone of voice
• Setting up an image suite to establish your visual identity

DON’T cast your net too wide

You’ve created a strong identity – hurray! Just don’t waste all that effort by shouting about it into a void. By developing a clear idea of the people likely to buy your services, you can broadcast relevant messages about your brand to the people you want to sell to.

Consider what channels your target audience is using – there’s no point creating beautifully crafted content if it bypasses them completely. Do your prospects live on social media, or do they prefer good old Direct Mail? By using a mix of relevant channels, you’ll be driving your brand awareness in the places that matter most to your audience.

DO use your audience’s pain points to define your business’ value proposition

Research your target audience’s pain points. What’s giving them a headache or keeping them up at night? Once you have clearly defined these points, you can mold your value proposition around them to show your customers how your business will be the best at solving their problems.

Now is not the time to be modest about yourself. Stand out from the crowd (or most importantly, from your competitors) and demonstrate why you are the brand that’s best placed to help them. This is your chance to set your potential B2B buyers off on their journey to purchase, so give them a reason they can’t afford to pass up.

DON’T just assume people know what you’re about

Fight to be there – show them you deserve to be in this space and demonstrate your reason for being. Customers need to hear your business’ life story, so show them what inspired you to build the company.

Tell them all about your services, and exactly what you do that will help them overcome their challenges. It doesn’t need to be a hard sell, but neither should it be so light touch that they have to work hard at making that connection.

DON’T execute a bland campaign just because it’s B2B

As you’re marketing your products or services to another company, not an individual customer, a B2B campaign is a few steps away from B2C one. Everything needs to be considered differently, from the customer journey to the touchpoints you use.

When you’re talking business-to-business, it’s tempting to think a super creative campaign might make you seem less professional. But if anything, running a B2B campaign is even more of a reason to spice things up – not least because it’ll help you cut through a fairly ‘meh’ market, grab the attention of time-poor prospects and stand out against your competitors. Go on, why not stand out from the crowd on this one?

DO promote yourself

Find out where your audience is most likely to engage with your brand, then get there and broadcast your brand. Use a multi-channel approach to get maximum exposure – from a slick website to an up-to-date social media presence.

Brand awareness and kick-arse content go hand-in-hand – you’re so much more likely to stay in people’s minds with relevant and useful messaging. Create a content plan that ensures you’re consistently sending out the good stuff across your different touchpoints. Don’t just opt for emails and blogs – as useful as they are, they’re not the only thing to rely on!

Here are a few different options you can look at:

• Testimonials from existing clients or partners
• Videos
• Animations and infographics
• Interviews and opinion pieces
• Case studies
• A podcast series

DO take a weight off your mind, and give the reins to an agency

At Golley Slater, we live and breathe brand strategy – so why not free up your time and energy, and let us do the heavy lifting? With 170 experts and over 65 years of experience at our fingertips, we’re perfectly placed to help you build your brand up, shape it around your specific goals and ambitions, and send it out into the world.

Call our team today and see how we can help you not just achieve success, but sustain it, get in touch here.