You might think that branding is just for clothing brands or Coca-Cola, but that is far, far from the truth. Any company from any industry needs a good brand in order to build a solid customer base.

Having a brand that your audience can instantly recognise is going to yield considerable benefits.

It’s something your potential employees are noticing, too, with 94 percent of candidates saying that they consider an employer’s brand when applying for jobs.

Whether you’re posting about a new offer on Facebook, producing a company newsletter or updating a section of your website, your brand should be consistent, eye-catching and memorable.

From June 10 – 15, it is Employer Branding Awareness Week, a time to celebrate the achievements of companies that are going above and beyond.

So, what better time to take a look at five key things to consider when improving your branding?

1). Stay consistent

When you’ve developed a certain style, it’s important that you do not deviate from it. Once you have a logo you are happy with, keep it. Once you’ve written a slogan, keep it. When you’ve written your mission values, stick with them.

Whatever the size of your company, whatever you produce, create some brand guidelines that everybody can follow.

Having a strong brand will boost your chances of getting new customers, increase employee motivation and give your business a clear direction.

Staying consistent will mean that people will begin to reminder and recognise your brand. It may take time, but the results will be worth it.  

Consistent presentation of a brand has been seen to increase revenue by 33 percent (according to Lucidpress). It’s these margins that can make a positive, long-term difference.

The same goes for colours – according to Reboot, using a signature colour can increase brand recognition by a whopping 80 percent.

2). Be a storyteller

People like stories. They want to hear about people, products and situations, especially ones that relate to a situation that they are in themselves. Storytelling in the world of business is vital, especially if you want to boost your profile.

Business is all about telling the right story and telling it well. It’s also highly powerful – The London School of Business discovered that people retain 65-70 percent of information shared via a story, versus just five percent of information they discovered through statistics.

Still not sure telling stories is worthwhile? Then check out these stats:

• 55 percent of people are more likely to buy a product if they love the story behind it;
• 44 percent will then share the story;
• 15 percent will buy the product immediately.

3). Be trustworthy

A recent survey from Accenture Strategy revealed that 66 percent of consumers think transparency is one of the most attractive qualities in a brand.

This just shows how customers’ demands have shifted – in 2022, issues like sustainability are at the forefront of their minds and they want transparency in where a brand sources its materials, how it treats employees and what happens behind closed doors.

However, don’t be insincere. Companies need to establish an emotional connection and be true to who they are as a business.

Be honest and be open. Embracing brand transparency can give you a real advantage over other businesses.

Furthermore, understand what your customers value. You have to care about your customers, but also address what your customers care about. What is important to your demographic?

77 percent of customers buy from brands that share the same values as they do, so it’s time for your business to do the appropriate research.

4). Embrace user generated content

You’ve probably heard the term ‘user generated content’ a lot since the start of the year without fully understanding what it means.

Essentially, it is content in all shapes and sizes – images, comments, reviews and videos, for example – that has been posted by users on websites and social media.

You have no doubt done this yourself. How many of us have sought out Google’s reviews to get a feel for a restaurant or visited Glassdoor to assess what it could be like to work for a certain company?

Even when using apps like eBay or Vinted to purchase items, the first thing many people do before buying is check out the seller’s reviews and ratings.

Customers today have so many ways to discover and research businesses and products, with 79 percent of people saying that user generated content highly impacts their purchasing decisions.

It’s now time to start putting this into action – begin courting reviews from your clients, ask for positive feedback, urge them to post pics and videos on to social media and create case studies with their input.

5). Get the help you need

Feeling overwhelmed? Not quite sure where to begin? We’re here to help.

If you want bespoke support that can really get into the nitty gritty of your business, then our Enterprise For Success service can give you the support you need – for free.

You’ll sit down with a consultant and identify key areas of development, diversification and expansion for your company. You’ll receive the insight needed to develop better strategies, including improving your branding.

Furthermore, you will also receive access to additional business growth support activities, including workshops and more.

Looking to improve your branding and boost your business? Find out more about Enterprise For Success.