Branding can entail costs and expenses. These costs can be very expensive, especially when you talk about marketing and advertising. Though it takes effort and some financial resources to establish a brand for your business, there are also alternative ways which will still help you establish the brand identity you desire for your company without spending much or with little budget on hand.
Social media
Social media marketing has been used by businesses to advertise their business and to create a brand for themselves. You can use social media platforms which will enable you to establish your brand and introduce it to the people according to how you want them to see your business. Using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest can help you define the character of your business and the way people see it. These platforms are usually free and you can freely use them to market and advertise your business.
Use these platforms to engage with your customers and clients. Be able to reach out to them and be sincere in knowing their wants and needs. This way, you are not only building up your online image, but you are also learning from the first hand users of your product. This benefits both the business and the customers. The business gains insights on how to improve their product and services, and the customers are able to have a voice in the product they are using.
Joining in social media platforms is generally free. However, you can also make use of business ads using these platforms. You can utilize Facebook Ads and Twitter Ads. They have minimal costs, but your ads can potentially reach the billions of users of these platforms. Among others, you can specifically target the audience you want to view your posts. You are not only introducing yourself to potential customers, but you are introducing yourself to the right kind of audience that possess a high probability of checking out your business.
Online network and collaboration
The Internet allows you to meet various people around the globe, including those who have the same interests as you do. If you want to brand your business without having to spend so much on advertising, learn how to collaborate. Engage with people who are running the same type of business as you do, or people who run, a more or less, similar business. But how do you join in networks online?
Membership Websites
You can register on trusted websites which offer support to businessmen and entrepreneurs like you. Examples of these websites are LinkedIn, StartupNation, Meetup, and Founders Network. Membership on these websites is generally free, but you have to pay for specific kinds of memberships which allow you extensive access to materials and support from other members and mentors of these websites.
Once you are a member, connect with peers in the industry. Engage with them. Aside from gaining access to communication, you should be able to contribute. In your profile, make sure to include the name of your business and describe in detail the industry you are in.
Use Facebook groups
Mark Zuckerberg is really brilliant. He did not only found a way for people to connect with their friends, he also provided a platform for businesses and entrepreneurs to be able to reach out to their customers. Not only that, he also provided a platform for businesses to connect and collaborate.
Facebook groups opened the way to sharing of ideas and collaboration of entrepreneurs. If you want to establish a brand for your business, you should be able to connect with your target niche and let them know of your existence. You can create a Facebook group specifically for your target market or for entrepreneurs in the same industry.
For example, if your product is mainly for babies and infants, then you create a group for new mothers. Engage with members, answer questions and be able to help them with their motherhood and baby issues as much as possible. You need to sincerely connect and build relationships with your members in order to establish the identity you want them to identify you and your business.
Creative content
Write articles about your business or articles which relate to your business. This way, you are informing your readers what kind of business you are in – the character and personality of your business, the brand you are establishing. If you are a branding and naming business, you can write about how to brand a business, how to secure documents for a business name and the like. Create content, not just for the sake of getting your business out in the open, but create a content which helps your readers. Show them that you are qualified and competent in your kind of industry.
Team up with influencers
It is always good to follow experts in the business industry. Aside from being able to learn from them, you also get access to their followers. Engage on their posts and connect with them. You can join their networks. If you constantly engage and interact, you are creating your online visibility. This way, you are building up your personal brand, including the brand of your business. Moreover, you are also marketing your business to potential customers. What is even better is when the expert himself would inquire about your business, try it out and recommend it to his followers.
Influencers can either be an expert or someone who belongs to the market himself and can greatly influence a number of people in his network. Influencers can help you in branding. Their views and opinions regarding your business can create an impact on your branding.
Author Bio :
Dan Taylor is responsible for content marketing and branding at Squadhelp.com, a crowdsourcing platform that lets companies host competitions to find a name and logo. He writes about topics related to startup naming, branding and entrepreneurship.
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