Got Brand?

As we all know, social media has become the latest challenge any successful business has to face, but with experience, you’ll find that it does have its benefits. For example, I truly believe that microblogging has made me a better writer and a better listener.

As a small copywriting agency, we have made our mark. We have a brand, from our excellent service to our creative thinking, which ultimately is passed on to the client.

It is a constant process, though; we have to move, change and adapt to our clients needs. Without the wonderful team I have, I am confident I would not have come to this realization. With that said, here is my opinion on how and what is needed for any business to succeed.

You obviously need a brand. That in itself breaks down to several components: a vision, motivation, then the strategy. In order to come to this realization, you will need to use your vision. Once you have the vision, it can motivate you and your company, becoming the driving force for the next step the strategy. This is where the fun begins; you have to be creative.

Use your creative thinking skills: how you approach the individual project is the vision (in this case it’s how to brand yourself). How do you describe the business, as you want it to be? The answer involves seeing the optimal future for your business, and then describing that vision with your motivation.

Once you have grasped your motivation, then your desire to solve and exploit an opportunity are forthcoming. This, of course, will fall in the right place and is part of the process when “creating” your brand. Lastly the strategy, which we call your expertise: knowledge and understanding (technical, procedural, and intellectual) of what you do.

When you can break it down to easy terms and go as far as writing these components out on a sheet of paper, clarity becomes a beautiful thing.

What is a brand?

If you come from the old school of thinking, a brand takes a lot of money and time to create. With today’s online business, however, it can be attained with the right combination.

Take, for example, using SEO/SEM/SM as part of your online marketing. I would venture to say that anyone with a solid plan could create his or her brand. Branding yourself and standing out from your competitors is one of the easiest, yet most time consuming, exercise I advise my clients to focus on. Keep in mind that a brand is not built through effective communications or appealing logos only – that’s the expensive way; look at all the TV ads, magazines and newspaper fees. No, a brand is built through the total experience that it offers.