Quick Tactics To Brand Your Business And Make More Sales

Quick Tactics To Brand Your Business And Make More Sales
----------------------------------------------------------
(c) 2004 Charles Kangethe
----------------------------------------------------------

This may come as a surprise... to you, but Branding is
more than just Logo and Business or Product Name
recognition.

Branding is "The total emotional and intellectual
involvement your prospects and customers have with your
business and products."

This article addresses 5 basic problems and questions about
Branding:

How Are Brands Created ?
-------------------------

=> Branding by "Personal Experience"

This creates the strongest bond between your customers and
your business and products.

Your customer service, front and back end offers must be
of high quality, in order to create exceptional "Personal
Experience". This starts a virtuous cycle.

Exceptional "Personal Experiences" lead to general public
and market acclaim spread by word of mouth and other
publicity. In turn, this feeds into a still stronger Brand,
starting the cycle all over again.

However, always remember it is easier to create a negative
Brand than it is to create a positive one, by offering low
or poor quality and value products, services and customer
support.

=> Branding by "Indirect Experience"

For many direct marketers, "Personal Experience" Branding
is difficult and not easily achieved because sales that
lead to "Personal Experience" are not easily made !

The "Indirect Experience" strategy relies on creating a
consistent, repeating association to the product in your
prospects mind.

Marketers use a variety of tactics to achieve this aim.

* Jingles in audio visual media

* Using Slogans

* Advertising through classifieds, display, press
releases, and give away products and information.

* Sponsorship of media, cultural, sporting and other events

Brand Building On The Internet - The Issues
------------------------------------------

The Internet has re-defined Branding models of the
past because it has levelled the playing field, for both
consumers and businesses.

Prospects and customers are more involved with
businesses and products than they were in the past.

Research of products and services, before purchase is
easier.

Consumers have so much choice now they are no longer
easily "taught" loyalty to a particular Brand.

Consumers are less willing to form bonds or create "loyal"
associations with products and businesses.

On the other side of the coin, businesses have much more
competition and must be more customer focussed than ever
before.

Companies that thrive and stay in business recognise
building lasting relationships with existing customers
is more profitable, than always trying to find new
customers.

A World of stronger consumers who by-pass your direct and
indirect experiences with a click of the mouse, is
difficult for Brand builders.

On the Internet those that succeed make profits, the rest
fail.

The Cost And Value Of A Brand.
------------------------------

Brand building has a cost in time, money and effort.

The cost of Brand building is easily quantified in Dollar
terms.

The value of a Brand is harder to establish because it
involves measuring emotional and intellectual associations
that might not necessarily translate into cash sales.

Not understanding the value, but clearly understanding the
cost of Branding, some marketers decide to get round this
problem by competing solely on price.

This is a short sighted tactic because it invites "price
wars", and if you get involved in a "price war" against an
opponent with deeper pockets you are bound to loose.

A better strategy is to compete on high product value and
build quality Brand recognition over time.

Brands Are Not Eternal
----------------------

Brand building is an ongoing Business strategy.

The emotional and intellectual associations and recognition
that together make up Brand loyalty wear off if not
re-energised frequently.

Brands are subject to fashion, fads and change, and
understand recognition is not the same as popularity.

Your market may recognise your Brand, but that may not
translate into sales if the association is unfashionable.

The temptation, in such circumstances, is to spend less on
Branding, cut prices, or , drop the business line
altogether.

These are knee jerk reactions to uncontrollable events
when taken in the short term. A measured initial
response is to re-invent the Brand, freshen it up and
market it to a new generation of consumers.

Many businesses re-invent, and re-brand themselves and go
on to achieve new consumer acclaim.

Strategies For Brand Building
---------------------------

Here are a few short to medium term tactical measures you
can start using today to kick start your Brand building
program.

* Get a professional web site with customised headers,
footers and logos - Make your "visitor experiences"
happy ones.

* Advertise regularly using paid channels where you can.
If money is a problem, use f'ree advertising, but
advertise regularly !

* Write useful articles and publish regularly. Invite visits
to your site through your resource box.

* Syndicate your articles and build personal name
recognition using a tool such as Name Branding Syndicator
available from
http://www.highprofitsoftware.com/syndicator/

Visit http://www.simplyeasier.com/mbd to see how you can
get this tool for F'ree as part of a product bundle.

* Brand your business by associating and complimenting
other succesful products - Develop a quality reciprocal
link and partnership strategy.

Try products like Zeus (http://www.cyber-robotics.com/ )
and Arelis (http://www.axandra.com/index.htm) for this
tactic.

* Use a good autoresponder service and communicate
frequently with your customers and prospects giving
useful, and personal information.

There are many good tools for this tactic, but try
Getresponse (http://www.getresponse.com) or Aweber
(http://www.aweber.com) for a start.

* Use Zip Brander available from Russell Brunson
of http://www.zipBrander.com/ to put your products,
affiliate programs and other offers in front of your
purchasers easily and frequently.

------------------------------------------------------------
Branding your business and products is a key part of your
success strategy.

You want people to associate your business name and
products with high quality, and high value.

Successful Brands make money - just ask Microsoft, Levi,
Ford, Coke.

Start Branding your business and products today, and
generate maximum lifetime customer values.
------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Kangethe of http://www.simplyeasier.com is a leading
new wave Netpreneur and a published author from England. The
"Simply Easier" brand name is your guarantee of high value,
quality Marketing Products, Services and Resources.
-----------------------------------------------------------