How to Build a Strong Brand

Connection over Consumerism
How to Build a Strong Brand & Nurture Customer Loyalty

As we head into the busiest period of the year for the retail sector, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the onslaught of cheerful Christmas advertising everywhere you look. As consumers, we are so bombarded by marketing, with pushy sales adverts or special offers, that it can often have the opposite effect and turn us off to brands.
For businesses, getting the balance right between brand awareness and promoting products can be tricky. To create a brand that customers genuinely love and, more importantly, keep coming back to, retailers need to be smart. Building a credible brand that inspires customer loyalty requires more than pushing products – here’s some useful ways to engage with customers and build a resilient brand.

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I am a professional writer and editor with a passion for creative writing. With a marketing background, I love playing with language to deliver powerful messages and tell brands’ stories in an engaging way. I am a keen advocate for children’s reading and nurturing a love of books from an early age. Follow me on Twitter @MelBrannlund or email me at [email protected]

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1.       Nurture meaningful engagements
Every interaction with your customers contributes to your brand image, and consistency in how you communicate with customers is crucial. Whether it’s on your social media pages, email newsletters, website, printed materials, or customer services, having a clear voice and style helps build a strong brand that reassures customers.
Be vigilant for opportunities to make meaningful connections with your customers. If people are talking about your brand or products on social media – whether it’s positive or negative – take the time to respond to what they’re saying. In doing so, you help to nurture customer loyalty by listening and responding to people’s needs, and also may gain valuable insights into areas for improvement to help your business thrive.

2.       Be transparent and accountable
If you’ve had negative feedback or a bad review online, you may feel like sweeping it under the carpet and ignoring it. But when customers have had a poor experience of a brand or their products, transparency is often best. Customers appreciate being treated with respect and feeling like their problems are valid.
Holding your hands up and being accountable when things didn’t go right or didn’t meet expected standards can help customers to respect your brand and show that you value them more than simply making a profit. Being proactive and tackling problems head-on by genuinely listening to what your customers have to say will help ensure customers come back to your brand again.
Be sure to celebrate your business successes too and share any good news and events with your customers!
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3.       Giving back
Corporate giants have come under fire over recent years for putting profit before people. Consumers are becoming more savvy when choosing which brands to support, with sustainability, ethical trading, and social responsibility being important factors.
Many businesses are already on the ball when it comes to these issues, but with the festive season being a hugely consumer driven and often wasteful period, giving back to others whilst protecting the environment is even more important during this time.
Consider ways in which your business can give back to communities, and operate in more planet-friendly ways. This could be arranging or participating in free community events to engage with customers, or reviewing your production and packaging methods to become more environmentally friendly.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with charity events or campaigns. Get your employees involved in a charity activity and generate some engagement with customers via your social media channels, or run a marketing campaign to donate a percentage of each sale on a product to a chosen charity.

4.       Give your business a face and a voice
Seeing the people behind a brand makes it easier for customers to connect with you. Use your social media channels and website to show the human side of your brand with sneak peeks behind the scenes, meet the team features, and celebrating company milestones or events which help people relate to your business.

Promoting your products and generating sales is important and necessary for any business, but by focusing on nurturing meaningful connections with your customers, you will be able to build a strong and credible brand that customers come back to time and time again!

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Look out for Melissa's latest articles on Anita Frost's author website, where she'll talk about topics including business and publishing, author news and events, and giving back to communities. You can find her in-depth monthly feature on the News & Media page of the Green Bean Collection website, discussing children's books and reading, early years education, living a greener lifestyle and all things Green Bean!