Creating a captivating brand identity is easier than you think…
With the increasing influence of technology, opportunities to communicate with potential stakeholders are abundant. However, amongst a variety of competition, their attention is more difficult to captivate than ever. It is vital that your brand resonates with your clients and potential clients, because having the best offering is not enough, if you don’t have the reputation to back this up.
Hold on to your assets
As the leader of a company, it can be difficult to determine the correct balance between attracting new clients and getting the most from those you already possess. Onboarding new people is important to expand your market share and stimulate brand awareness, but companies that become too fixated on this hunting process are more often at the mercy of external factors. These might include competitors’ offerings, which they cannot control, but must exceed or undercut to outperform, or wider economic trends that might increase or decrease average spending.
Businesses that experience sustainable success recognise the importance of these three aspects:
1. Retaining – It costs less to nurture an existing client relationship than spending on marketing and onboarding someone new. Make sure that your current clients are pleased with the product/service you provide and prefer it to other similar offerings. Understand your company differentials that shape this decision.
2. Reselling – Extract the most value from your existing client base. Think about what offerings they might be interested in, given their previous purchases. Consider their customer lifetime value and how your interactions might be adjusted with regard to this. If they do not progress through your marketing funnel, interrogate why this might be.
3. Referrals – Delighting your clients will mean they advertise your brand independently. In this way, they become like an autonomous marketing arm for your company, acting as social proof that the product/service you provide is worth the investment. The leads this generates tend to be the highest quality, because their values are more likely to align with your ideal client personas.
Recurring or re-occurring?
Building a base of reliable clients will give your organisation greater freedom to develop. If you can rely on a consistent level of income this financial security will benefit all aspects of your business, from rewarding performance to rethinking your operations. Having this foundation will eradicate uncertainty in your people, processes and systems, that can be damaging if allowed to continue.
To give yourself clarity on this position, ask: Are they are recurring or re-occurring client?
Recurring – A client who interacts with your business on a regular basis.
Re-occurring – A client who offer repeat income, but at irregular intervals.
Ideally, you want to have as many recurring clients as possible and work out to convert your re-occurring interactions into this more consistent group.
Never forget the brand
It is a common misconception that communicating brand identity is the exclusive role of the marketing department. In fact, this should be a company-wide initiative, where each client touchpoint must work towards presenting your brand in the best possible way. Your sales team must be charming and accommodating; your website should be attractive and easy to use; your product should be as described and solve the problem it was designed for. All of these things contribute to the perception of your brand.
I would encourage you to create a strong set of guidelines that ensures your brand appears consistent from every part of your business. Make sure you are being crystal clear about your mission, vision and values that sit at the centre of everything you do, so your clients and potential clients feel more connected to your company journey. If you don’t already have these, I would recommend putting together a compelling customer and joined-up customer journey, so you can decide how best to maximise your brand reputation.
With so many options to choose from, the modern shopper wants to interact with a brand that truly resonates with them. It’s up to you to cultivate these emotional connections for long-lasting, ideal client relationships.
If any of the themes covered in this article resonate with you, please book a free discovery call with me here…