Most consumers today go for bargains over brands. Despite the beating that branding has taken recently, however, it should still be a top priority of your marketing efforts. The goal is get consumers to relate your brand to your specific service or product. In other words, you want to establish some type of brand loyalty. It’s not an easy task in today’s competitive and interactive marketing world, but there are some ways to put brand back into your marketing. Here are four steps to get you started:

1. Send a Clear Message

You don’t have to do a Pepsi-style Super Bowl ad to effectively deliver your message to the masses. Fortunately, you don’t have to dish out the millions on advertising to get similar results. You want to send a clear message by customizing your brand according to the needs of your customer base. One way to do this is to develop a focus. If you sell cars, for example, you might consider focusing on the extra efforts you put into customer service. Your message is that you are the dealership that really goes the extra mile for your customers.

2. Establish Credibility

You want to form an association between your brand and the quality of the products or services you offer consumers. Once you form a clear association in consumer’s minds, however, you are on your way to establishing credibility. This is why a lot of lesser-known brands tend to focus on how they can provide better customer service than the big guys. Sure, a consumer may be able to get your product or service cheaper elsewhere, but they won’t get the same service you offer. It takes time to build credibility, but it will pay off though.

3. Form a Connection Between the Product and the Consumer

While younger people are less likely to develop a connection to a brand, it’s not an impossible task. There are certain products, especially tech-related products and services, that tend to do better when it comes to forming a connection with consumers. Are consumers looking to find the latest in smartphone technology going to turn to Apple or Howie’s Phone World? You want to establish the same kind of connection between your product and the consumer, but on a smaller scale. Getting positive feedback from customers is a good way to get started with this goal.

4. Motivate Your Customers

Once you build trust among your customers, they are likely to be motivated to come back again or tell their friends about you. This is accomplished by providing good products and services along with good customer service. You can get the word out via your website, social media, or an email marketing campaign. With email, you can make special offers to your previous customers and even gently encourage them to spread the word via their social connections. The idea is to get a customer to automatically think of you when they need your particular product or service again in the future.

The goal of marketing your brand is to form a connection in a consumer’s mind between your brand and the products you offer. This is accomplished by creative use of your logo and your specific brand name. It’s a juggling act trying to find the right balance at times, but it’s not an impossible goal. Yes, it does take money to successfully build a brand. With a focused budget geared at building your brand, however, the results will be lasting!

(image:flickr)