How to create a brand image

Branding is how your business appears to its customers. It can be described as the personality of the company that you want your customers to perceive. You need to know what type of image you want to give your business because it will influence how people react to your business and how likely they are to buy from it. Creating a brand image or message starts with understanding who you are and why, and knowing what sets you apart from other businesses in the industry. According to Dr. Jordan Sudberg, the image you create should not be created just for yourself but for the greater good of your business. The idea you want to project will be paramount in how others perceive your business and will influence their decisions about where to spend their money. Sudberg also said that it is also recommended to consider what your target audience will be looking for when deciding whether to buy from you or not. Dr. Sudberg advises you to maintain a consistent image or personality. You might think it's the same person in every encounter with your customers, from the first meeting to the final sale to supplying goods to customer service.

■ Hide your mistakes

Mistakes are inevitable in business life. It is essential to ensure that when mistakes are made, they are not exposed in a way that will damage your brand and give the impression that you didn't care about these mistakes at all. If you have the support of your employees, errors can be overlooked and not given much attention. However, if this strategy is not possible, try to find out what went wrong and fix it as soon as possible.

■ Advertise your customer service – Your customers will most likely make an effort to find a company that provides good customer service. Even if they go and buy another company or other products, they will also remember how you handled the situation. To ensure that your customer service is perceived as good, the best thing to do is to advertise it frequently and loudly. Your advertising message should include your policy on refunds and returns, as well as information on how to contact a customer representative if there is a problem with your product or service.

■ Understand your customers’ needs – While it is essential to understand that your priority should be your customers, you also need to understand what your customers want. If you want to maintain and grow your business, you need to know as much detail as possible about what will suit them. This will allow you to present a well-balanced package that makes sense for all parties involved. Jordan Sudberg thinks it's also good to keep in mind that there will always be competitors who will do their best to take away your customers by presenting themselves as having better products or services than you.