5 Steps To Building An Amazing Brand

If you can tick all of these boxes you've got the hardest bit nailed. Here are the 5 things you need to have or do to build an amazing brand:

1. Know what your higher purpose is
   
   Everyone's got to make a living, but you need something bigger than money to get you out of bed everyday. Once you can name that motivation, make sure everybody knows about it. Your customers; your staff; your friends; your family; the media. Make sure that everything you do is aligned with that purpose.
   
   
2. Know what it's going to take to make your product stand out
   
   Go look for that one flaw or missing element that all the other products in your category haven't cracked. Then let nothing come between you and solving that problem. Then you know you've got something really special AND you have something to hang your hat on!
   
   
3. Do things properly!
   
   This may sound like a no-brainer, but seriously, I can't tell you how many times I've seen business owners skimp on some of the most critical elements of presenting a successful brand. Some examples:
   
   
   • Cheap, shoddy packaging for a high-end product
     
     
   • Poor photography
     
     
   • Bad printing
     
     
   • Budget, poorly constructed web sites with no thought gone into the content
     
     
   • Outdated website content, brochures and order forms
     
     
   • Lazy marketing emails sent to people who've never subscribed to receive them
     
     
   Everyone's got a small budget when they are starting out, launching a new product or dealing with recession, but you really need to think about where you skimp and where you invest.
   
   Your brand and how it's presented when you first go to market is critical, so seek out ways to make savings in other areas of the business so you can put those dollars towards your brand.
   
   For example, forget buying expensive back-office furniture, choose a basic but reliable spreadsheet program over a complex and pricy CRM system, use an intern over a full-time employee. Whereabouts in your business can you cut some fat or make a different choice? There are so many better places to look for savings than knee-capping your branding efforts.
   
   
4. Know what you are good at - then get help with the other stuff
   
   Usually as the founder you're great at inspiring people with your passion. Your vision leads to the design of amazing products and ensures they are made. But you might not excel at marketing, sales, distribution, accounting and cash flow management. All things that help get a great brand off the ground.
   
   Start learning about all those things (books, seminars, mentors, etc), but also get help from experts to set you on the right path. That way, you get to keep innovating and building your brand, which is what founders should be doing.
   
   
5. Build a tribe of believers
   
   Seek out others who believe in the same purpose you do and engage with them. Have an individual dialogue with your customers - whether it's a visit, picking up the phone or starting a blog about your passion to spread the word. Ask them for feedback, their opinions and referrals. Communicate what you believe in as often and as openly with as many people as you can. Do it in an authentic way. Your way. Your voice.
   
   

Author Credits