¨How does your company differentiate itself from its competitors? ¨This is a question I, as a copywriter, have had the pleasure of asking companies countless times. ¨Phew, what a difficult question! ¨ Both starters and old-timers usually say. Yet this is one of the most important questions you should ask yourself as a company!
Your distinctive strength is in relation to your branding: how do you want to present yourself in the market? If you have this in mind, you can have a website made with a web design & brand identity that suits you and what you want to convey: the first steps towards your own branding!
Want a website and web design created entirely to your style and identity? A web agency can do an even better job if you know how you want to stand out.
Find your unique strength and start your branding!
What is all important to know before you start branding? We have listed it for you.
1. Dare!
This first point is not a case of ¨so said, so done¨. Good branding requires a bit of guts: dare to really market yourself as a distinctive company. You will not achieve this if you are too modest. Of course you need to show who you are and maybe you are modest, but even then there are ways to come out. Think about what you want to stand for and put all negative thoughts aside: you are your brand and you are going to put that down. Assumptions or doom-mongering won't get you anywhere.
2. What makes you unique?
Perhaps one of the doomsday thoughts that keeps surfacing is: ¨I have so much competition, no one is really waiting for me¨. Yet there are, for example, several hairdressers and pizzerias in your hometown, often even within a few metres of each other. Hairdressers provide the same services and pizzerias make the same product: yet they also have their own custom and attract new customers. If they can do it, there is definitely an option for you too. But how will you stand out from those others? The most important tip: stay close to yourself. Branding is all about authenticity & personality (aka ¨Personal Branding¨). What do you stand for what makes you unique? What are your motivations? Of course, you don't have to describe all your hobbies, but pick something that stands out and you can start highlighting. When different elements of your online identity recur more often, it creates a coherent image.
3. Personal vs. business
You may have noticed it yourself: the line between private and business is blurrier than ever these days. We can imagine you thinking ¨I'm not going to get into that,¨ but there could be a nice challenge here. How do you make your brand personal, but still retain your business identity? People like to do business with people, not anonymous companies. Therefore, establish a multifaceted image of yourself. Does the you-you and the amicable first name hype (¨Hi Milou! I'm Jeroen, can I help you?¨) not suit your company and do you prefer not to put yourself in the picture? Even then, there are ways to give your brand a personal touch. Why is it important to define your personal brand? Your 'favour factor' increases when customers can identify themselves. Moreover, your company is better remembered when it has unique features. A singing web designer or three-generation fish shop captures the imagination more than a company name.
4. Invest in branding
Branding requires your investment. Branding does not always give immediate visible results, but it is very important for the long term. After all, you cannot measure with numbers whether the colour of your logo or the style of your photos appeals to your target group. If you have your website created by a web agency with an understanding of web design, you can measure whether your web design is well designed and leads to conversions.
Wondering how we can do this for you? Get in touch!
5. Promoting: going public
Branding is all about you, so you should not be averse to a bit of self-promotion. Come out in a fun and authentic way, without being too much. Self-promotion is just as exciting for the down-to-earth Dutchman, so start with small steps: with social media, for instance. Find the medium that suits you best and start with that.
Want to know how to promote your website? Read it in the blog: "How do I promote my website?
6. Recognisability and repetition
You have seen it a few times in this blog: recognisability and repetition are important. How do you create this and where can you apply it? We have listed a number of things to look out for here:
Logo, brand identity, web design.
Your logo, brand identity and web design represent your company and let a visitor and potential customer decide. Therefore, make sure it fits the core of your company, but also look at what might appeal to your potential customers. Use your logo and brand identity everywhere: on your website (in the web design), in your communication, printed matter, etc. Through the power of repetition and recognisability, you make your brand even stronger. Are you having your website created by a web agency? They can help you think about a suitable web design.
Text
How you express yourself in text is also part of your brand identity. Think about the tone in which you want to address visitors, but also about words you find important that recur repeatedly. That way, you always write in the same style and address your customers in the same way. In the long run, it is useful to develop a script for this. A web agency usually employs one or more copywriters: they can coordinate with you on what you want to put down and create a good text for you. Always ask about this when you commission a website, it's super handy!
Expressions: website, social, blogs and printed matter
Add an About Us page on your website to give your story even more body and have professional photos taken. A good way to show what your company stands for is by blogging. You can blog on your own website, but also on Linkedin, for example. Do you have difficulties with this yourself? Ask your web agency whether a copywriter can help you with this.
social media
Every social media channel can be used optimally for various purposes and can be an ideal connection to your branding. On Twitter, for instance, you show what you stand for by sharing current tweets, information and links you consider important. On Facebook, you can create a business page. This is useful, for instance, to easily share projects you are currently working on. Don't just show the end result, be transparent and show the whole process! Also post occasional photos of colleagues and show the faces at your company. Instagram is the ideal channel for companies that are good at capturing images, because here it is all about the photos. Nail salon, bakery or printing company: put your best work on Instagram!
Branding is daring and doing!
In short: you have to dare, be able to articulate your motives and respond to your target group. How are you going to stand out with your branding? We like to think along with you! We do more than just make a website: we listen to your story and see how you can stand out from the competition. We come up with an appropriate web design and let you shine! Interested? Get in touch!
