Your brand sets your business apart from competition, it lets your customers know what to expect from you at all times.
To build a brand,you need a target audience ,one that is large enough to sustain the business (discover your customer segments here https://biznessvirgins.blogspot.com.ng/2016/05/business-workshop-define-your-business.html)

Branding is important to manage the effect your business has on a customer; it allows you build the value of your company and create a face that people remember your business by . Branding is essentially relevant to longevity in business.

Your brand should give you a clear understanding of what your business is capable of and help you connect and successfully sell your products to your target audience.

Here are steps to building a successful brand

-Define your brand ; develop a conscious understanding of your business, that is – the space it occupies in the market space,target audience,the needs and concerns of your customers.What does your business believe in,whats its purpose. Its important to clearly communicate your brand message to customers,employees and partners.

-Be consistent; make sure customers always get a consistent feel of your brand anytime they come in contact with it.when relating with your audience,be careful not to confuse them as to where you belong in your market space.

-Be honest; do not over exaggerate what you are offering so customers do not end up disappointed with what they receive,try as much as you can to communicate exactly what you are offering so the customer knows exactly what they are expecting from you

-Be flexible,though your brand identity should never be compromised,there should be variations in communicating the brand message. Be innovative and willing to react to the ever changing needs of the customers without affecting the brand identity. Create campaigns and promotions that stir up interest in the target audience and still sets you apart from competition.

– Make an emotional connection with your customers (/potential customers). This will strengthen customer relationships thereby cultivating customer loyalty and advocacy. Offer relevant value to your customers and deliver extra value. Be sure to relate the value offered to them in your brand message.

-At all times, employees should know  and be reminded of what the business stands for. Everything they do within the business should intentionally and adequately communicate that.

photo credit : www.fetchmultimedia.com