To put it simply, the easiest way to tell if your brand is working is through your sales. Ask yourself these questions - all of these are measurable, and all three metrics will tell you how your brand is performing today.
- Are you constantly getting new customers?
- Are they completing transactions?
- Are they becoming repeat customers?
Ideally, the answer to all should be yes! However, sometimes a few things might need tweaking to make everything fall into place
Win over your audience
Your customers have choices - lots of choices! When someone is comparing their options on who to go with, they will obviously choose the better brand that suits their needs. Sometimes this will be the industry leader because of their reputation, but other times, it could be the more innovative, challenger brand.
Your brand is a signal to potential customers what they can expect from your organisation. If your website and marketing materials are out of date and don’t describe or sell who you are and what you’re about, then these need to change. Without solid branding, your business is dependent on two things: personal relationships and low prices.
Selling based on relationships and price are fine when you’re a small business or when you don’t have many competitors, but having a solid brand allows you to compete in many other ways - both with the industry leader and the innovators.
Close those sales
Solid brands are the whole package: great marketing, great products, great people. Branding isn't just one thing. It takes a lot of moving parts to create a successful brand, but the reward is tangible and you’ll see it in your sales.
Sales and cash flow are what keeps a business ticking, so it’s hugely important to attract customers who are likely to complete transactions. A strong brand means customers are more likely to firstly buy from you, but also more likely to refer, as well as come back again and again.
Make your customers come back
A brand isn’t solid without repeat customers. Winning a customer once is great, but if they don’t come back again, what does that say about your brand and service? Very rarely do companies sell something just once, it's not particularly efficient.
What brings customers back is not just down to your marketing, but the quality of your services as well. We truly believe that successful businesses create successful brands, not the other way around. Bringing customers back comes from within. It comes from the quality of your products, services, business model relationships with customers and the delivery. If you have great marketing but poor delivery, you’re not going to get repeat buyers. Simple.
Understanding if your brand is working isn't like trying to find a needle in a haystack, its obvious. Once you get all these steps correct your business will be ready to flourish and strive in your industry!
If you’d like to discuss a project with us, drop us a line on [email protected] or call us on 01353 882111. You can also find out more information on our services here.
