Before we start, our motive here is not to take a branding class, or write a preachy article on what you should or shouldn’t do with your brand. Instead we wish to share our experiences in what we have found works best for us in our industry vertical. Here they are in no particular order:
1. Show Up:
Every industry has numerous (global) conferences that bring together and unite members of the industry. This is the best opportunity for you to give a face to your brand. Get your team out there to network, even if you’re not exhibiting, sponsoring or speaking. Take prospects to lunch, dinner, or maybe just a drink and get to know the people you may be doing business with.
2. Accreditations / Awards:
Awards, recommendations, reviews, badges and Accreditations do matter a lot especially in B2B environments. These lend significant weight to your brand, positioning your company as an established player in the market. Most aspects of your business may be common to your competitors; the differentiating factors are what companies look for when choosing a business partner.
3. Be Everywhere:
We don’t need to stress on this point too much because we all know how important this is, especially in our industry. Be active on Facebook and Twitter, post regular blog posts, run promotions, write PRs, invest in SEO, etc. Some of these may be expensive, some not that much, but essential they are.
4. Create Brand Recall
Tshirts, pens, post-it notes and the likes are good as branded stationery and giveaways but, to make a lasting impact choose something that you can easily associate your brand with and that has frequent utility value.
At one of the recent conferences, we gifted Clockys to some partners and prospects. It’s a hip clock on wheels which runs away and hides if you don’t get out of bed. Just above the alarm off button, we put our prominent logo, and a line that went ‘It’s time to get Accredited!’. It’s a likeable, usable product with effective messaging.
5. Be Focused on Sales and Numbers, but Not Too Much:
At the end of the day, what matters is how many clients you bring on board and manage to retain, through these activities. However, to drive those numbers, you need to work with real people. And to keep people happy, you need to have some fun, right? Be innovative in what you do to achieve this; throw a bash, a theme party, or organize a short trip. After all, you need to make sure your audience remembers you when they need to make the switch.
That’s about it from us, what strategies do you follow for your company?
