We all know what we should be doing to build a strong brand, but how do we take our market vision and turn it into reality.
There is a big difference between knowing what to do and doing what it takes to reach the objective. For example, we all know we need to go to the gym to get in shape, but we don’t all have six-pack abs.
Arash Derakhshan is the Marketing and Development Leader at a boutique PR firm called Ascend Agency. They specialize in helping others discover your brand. Today, Arash is going to show you the six steps on how to leap from having a market vision to successfully executing to build your brand.
- Have a plan: Before you start to shout about your brand from the rooftops have a plan. What is your brand voice? Has the brand style guide been created, reviewed, and approved? Where do your target customers like to hang out and how do they talk? All of these questions and more should be identified in advance as a part of your market vision before you start reaching out to publications.
- Show your passion: Every brand should be built on a passion. Tesla is built on the passion to bring electric vehicles to every home. Apple is built on a passion to provide ease-of-use products to help people learn and create. What’s your brand’s passion? This message needs to be a strong and central part of your market vision.
- Build trust: Millions of brands are started and millions more disappear every year. Why should customers trust your brand? One of the best ways to build trust is by getting your brand recognized by a top-tier publication. Having your name out there in multiple well-known publications helps create a doubtless authority for your brand and increase the meaning that comes with your name.
- Raise awareness: Now that you have a well-coordinated plan, shown your passion, and built trust, it’s time to shout about your brand from the rooftops. Getting articles published at prominent online media sites is the fastest way to get your brand out to the world. Arash and his team at Ascent Agency get articles published on popular websites to feature your brand. This raises both its popularity and presence. He has successfully had brands featured in prominent online media sites including USA Today, the LA Times, Bloomberg, Inc Magazine, Disrupt, Vogue, Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo! Finance, Digital Journal, and more.
- Be Consistent: If you’ve followed the previous 4 steps, you’re already well on your way to successfully executing your market vision. This is the step people often forget. You need to be consistent in engaging with your customers, potential customers, and the audience you have built. Provide them with valuable content, promotions, and entertainment on a regular basis to keep them engaged. No wants to buy from a brand that’s hot one day and gone tomorrow.
- Honesty: This final step is the biggest mistake brands make. Throughout the entire process, you need to stay true to your brand. Too many brands lose their true north as they grow. When this happens they become a “zombie brand” that only spout catchphrases at their audience and don’t stand for anything authentic.
To learn more about how Arash can help you with brand marketing and development reach out to him on LinkedIn.
