Sunday 16 November 2014

READY TO MAKE MONEY - BRAND YOUR BUSINESS LIKE AN EXPERT!




Most Start-ups & SMEs fail to understand the importance of branding. I and my team cannot begin to count the amount of horrible business cards, poor logos, boring business names and ugly office interiors we’ve encountered over the years. Upon trying to convince the owner to invest a little money in a graphic designer we’d start hearing things like 

...“I’ll hire a designer when I make my first twenty million Naira”; “my business has been open for 20 years without a logo or website and we’re still here”; “Abeg I want to make money first, anything else can follow after”... 

They fail to understand that the difference between them and their competitor who may be making ten times the amount they see as profit may  only be because of a solid logo (which can cost as little as N10,000.00 to make) With the right branding & marketing strategy a company can easily triple its sales without adding to its manpower or resources! Let me give you a practical example. Who is your best friend? What do you feel when their name is said out loud?-Happy? Excited? Calm? This is the brand associated with your best friend…positive and there to protect your best interest. Wouldn’t you want the same for your company? You would want the public and clients to understand what you represent and believe the products and services you offer are second to none other and your company is here to stay. You  as a business owner need to understand that

  1. Like larger companies, SMEs & Start-ups need an awesome brand name, “sweet” packaging and marketable products 
  2. In order to create the right #brand & service, as a CEO you must put your ego aside so you can create something sustainable 
  3. You must research, attend seminars, & think so you can create a 50 year plan for your brand image and subsequent marketing plan 
  4. Your logo, mission, vision, people/ services/products, colors and offers make up[ your brand and its image 
  5. You can’t have awesome services/products with badly behaved staff & no market visibility. That will ruin your brand 
What do you need to do before you embark on creating and deploying a brand strategy?
  • Know client’s needs better than anyone else
  • Fuel the strategy with a culture that reflects you 
  •  Translate all these acts into an implementable internal and external communication policy 
  •  Build a platform that incorporates both traditional and social Media plans 
You will then be ready to create your brand strategy but you must make it a priority and promise to stick to it for at least a year before you review and adjust it. Ready but don’t know what to do? Send us an email at info@insitefulsolutionsconsult.com Have a blessed and wonderful day everyone!