How to Improve Your Startup Company Brand Strategy

It might be hard to decide what your brand strategy should be when you’re just starting your business. You might bring bad decisions, and make wrong moves, but that’s all normal and it’s part of the journey. However, we advise you to be cautious about how you spend your money because some mistakes can cost quite a bit.

Developing a recognizable and unique brand strategy for your startup is crucial in the beginning. By doing it, you’re actually taking care of your identity, and you’re setting the foundation for every next step you make. That’s why some companies don’t rush it and they build their brand strategy slowly and steadily, hoping they will one day be Coca-Cola’s of app development.

Smart brand strategy is gold. Remember that only 50% of businesses survive their first five years. Don’t allow yourself to become one of the unlucky statistics; make sure everyone knows about you by making your brand strategy spotless. And because we don’t want you to fail, we’ve prepared some useful tips on how to improve your startup company brand strategy.

It’s essential you get to know your target audience.

Before you even start developing the brand strategy you need to determine who your target customer is: age, gender, what they might like or dislike, and so on.  Don’t be afraid to go into details.

If you want to improve your brand strategy, focus on the competitors.

We really have it all today. From pineapple cutters to spaceships that travel to Mars. With that being said, it’s tough (some would even say impossible) to find something unique. To skyrocket your sales and be ahead of the competition you need to analyze it properly. Before you start developing your brand strategy make sure you know what your competition is doing. Find out what they’re doing well, discover what they are missing, and use this window to position yourself in the market.

The customer is always right.

And if you fail to suit their needs, they will soon find a company that will. That’s one of the few advantages of the open market. Don’t lose money on preventable things such as poor consumer service. Always aim to offer them the experience you would appreciate.

One of the few ways to keep your customers happy is to give them special treatment. You can do that by thanking them for using your services or product. Another way is to really make them see the effort you’re putting into resolving their problems. Use every possible channel you have such as the website, newsletters, and social networks to assist them and make them feel like they are the only ones in the world. And when you become aware of the fact that as much as 91 percent of customers never come back to a business that gave them poor treatment, you’ll see that customer care is essential.

Social media presence is a must if you want to improve your brand strategy.

Social media has an immersive impact on how your company, brand, or product will be perceived. Besides offering a way to communicate with your audience and improve customer satisfaction, social media is a  great way to show off your product and services. It can even be useful in scouting new employees. Think of your social media channels as a portfolio.

Always tell your story.

People like to tell and read stories. That’s why everyone is a storyteller nowadays, from politicians to your milk suppliers. A good side of it is that stories help us build bonds and have a tremendous impact on our emotions.

While you’re at the beginning be sure to tell your story. Spread it on your social media accounts, and put it on your website, but it can be a light motive in your video ads as well. Make sure your consumers know your motivations, your values, and purpose.

Doing something for free can bring you more money in the end than charging your services from the start.

People don’t give their trust to just anybody, and this is something you’ll have to work on. An excellent strategy to do so is to offer them something for free. Whether this is a free consultation or a free trial depends on the pure nature of your business. But making them try out what you have to offer without any money invested will show you’re reliable, and they will trust you more.

Become an expert in your niche.

If you want to improve your brand strategy, the smart thing would be to aim toward becoming an expert in your niche. One of the ways to do so is to spread your word and insights in a blog section which will make you more trustworthy, show your competencies, and at the same time improve your SEO! Convenient, isn’t it?

Stay away from using jargon.

If you’ve been working in a specific niche for a while, it’s easy to forget that not everyone is doing the same job as you and is not familiar with identical terms. So, an HR doesn’t really have to know what Node.js is if it’s not in the tech industry and a doctor can be totally oblivious to the terms we use while setting up a Facebook ads campaign. When you’re communicating with your audience, be careful to show your expertise without falling into jargon.

Cultural differences matter.

Being known worldwide is the dream of almost every startup owner. However, launching your business, product or service abroad can be a little bit more complicated than you might think. When you’re determining your brand strategy, be sure to adjust it to every context and avoid being offensive to others. Do your research on time and adapt your story when needed.

Be transparent.

Everyone makes mistakes. But making a mistake in a business can cost you a lot if you don’t have an appropriate reaction. If you’ve made a mistake that left some witnesses, don’t try to hush it. Come clean and be honest about it and don’t lose the trust you’ve built so far.

Find your voice.

This is one of the most important things when it comes to building a brand strategy. And before you go all in, be sure you know who you are, who you want to attract, and find your voice accordingly. Don’t try to be stiff and formal if your targeted audience is young, or don’t be too informal if you’re targeting businesses.

Don’t overthink.

Overthinking tends to slow down the action. And when you’re just starting out with your company, time is crucial. Make your decisions wisely, but don’t overdo them.

Developing a brand is difficult, and it takes time. Don’t try to rush it, but focus on improving your brand strategy one day at a time.

Ana Mladenovic

A cat enthusiast and a cupcake maniac, Ana is a freelance Content Writer passionate about HR, productivity, and team management topics. When she’s not at her keyboard, you can find Ana in the kitchen, trying to make delicious cookies.