Here’s a simple way to build your business - stop thinking of yourself as a business and consider your business a brand. Here are ten easy tips to help identify what yours is.

1. Build
Your
Brand
Top Ten Tips to
marketng@snap.ie
www.snap.ie

2. Ten tips to build your
business starting now
‘Everyone’
is not your
target market1Here’s a simple way to build your business -
stop thinking of yourself as a business and
consider your business a brand.
When you think of a ‘brand’ you may think of
the big ones - Coca Cola, Apple, Google and
McDonalds are good examples. But here’s
the thing - if you’re a business owner - even
a sole operator - you too, are in charge of a
marketable identity.
Don’t think you have a brand? Here are ten
easy tips to help identify what yours is.
Think of it as a ‘promise’ to your target market.
Define your target market
You may think you know this, but have
you really defined your target market?
There are a number of ways to do it:
Geography. It could be your local
community. It could be people in rural
areas, or strictly inner city people.
Gender. Relevant if you’re a Beauty
Salon but perhaps not so useful as an
Accountant.
Socio-economic. Are your products or
services premium or purely for those on
a budget?
Interests/Hobbies. If you’re niche, own it.
Age group. Even if your products/
services appeal to a general market, it’s
worth defining primary age categories.
Emotional State. Busy mums, frantic
company owners and teens are all
motivated by an emotion (guilt/stress/
peer group pressure).
Other possibilities include social,
cultural, religious and political.
Define who your main target market
is and ‘own that’. It is possible to do
without alienating other groups.
A brand is a promise to your clients and
potential clients. For decades now, Coca
Cola has promised refreshment, Apple
has promised beautiful technology, BMW
engineering and McDonalds consistency.
Top Ten Tips to Build Your Brand

3. 2 Ensure that you can keep a promise
If you’re an accountant who promises accuracy, a cheese shop
that promises quality, a mechanic who promises ‘fix it first time or
it’s free’ or a bar that promises ‘the happiest Happy Hour you’ll
ever have’, you need to deliver on that promise - every time.
Define the ‘promise’ that
you are making to your
target market
Some call this the ‘unique selling
proposition’ or the ‘point of
differentiation’.
Even if you sell widgets, you can
promise your potential buyers that
your widgets are (pick one):
• The finest quality
• The cheapest
• Hand crafted
• Highly engineered
• Backed by outstanding service
• Guaranteed for a lifetime
• Come in the widest range of colours
The list goes on...
You don’t have to be all things to all people
- stick to one promise and make sure you
keep it. It will also be easier for your clients to
remember - too many offerings can confuse
people to the point where they move on.
Keep it simple Remember, your business is
a brand backed by a promise.
Without that, you don’t exist3
Top Ten Tips to Build Your Brand

4. Make sure your visual identity
represents what you're offering
What you look like is just as important as
what you say. You can’t just say you’re a highly
professional organisation - your visual identity
needs to reflect what you offer.
Your clients need to believe that you are
capable of delivering what you are promising.
So a professional, contemporary logo design is
crucial. Clip art and Comic Sans just won’t do...
in fact, they should be banned!
Be true to your values -
write the way you would
talk to your clients5
Define your tone of voice
The way you convey the messages of
information about your business will define
how clients will perceive you.
When you write about your business,
here are a few general tips to consider:
• Keep it short - use the minimum
amount of words necessary to deliver
your information. Shorter messages are
more powerful and easier to remember
than long, rambling passages.
• Picture a client as you are writing -
it’s much easier to write with confidence
when you can demonstrate you
understand and respect them.
• Don’t try to be something you’re not -
be true to your values and write the way
you talk to your clients.
If you find writing about your business a test
of endurance, you should seriously consider
hiring a professional writer to help out.
Logo, fonts, colour scheme,
marketing material, website
- they’re all considered
your visual identity
4
Top Ten Tips to Build Your Brand

5. Don’t cheat!
If you need to ride
20 floors to deliver
your pitch, your
potential client will
have lost interest
by the 10th floor!
6
Write your elevator pitch
This one requires real discipline and consideration.
Imagine that you are sharing the elevator with your
best ever potential client and you have just 20
seconds or so to impress them.
Practice makes perfect, so you’ll find that you will just
have to write and re-write until you have perfectly
defined your credentials with the minimal number
of words. Then, test your pitch on your friends and
family, or failing that, test yourself in the mirror.
Don’t think you’re unique?
Put your thinking cap on and
create your point of difference
7
Be different - don’t try and mimic your competitors
It’s very rare that anyone’s business is truly unique, so it’s important to put
yourself in your client’s shoes. Why should they choose you rather than
one of your competitors?
What ever business you’re in, you need to stand out from the crowd.
In truth, it’s all about creating the right perception. You need to consider
carefully what your point of difference might be and, once you decide what
it is, live up to that perception.
Top Ten Tips to Build Your Brand

6. Don’t confuse being
bold with being brash
it’s better to speak
confidently than to shout
8
Be bold
Wilting flowers aren’t going to find
success in business - you have to
define who and what you represent
and make sure your clients see and
hear your marketing message.
When you have something interesting
to say, your clients will be happy to
hear it and, if they’ve heard it before,
you’re reinforcing the message!
Engaging with a client can happen in a number
of ways - a phone call, a personalised ‘Thank you
for your business’ card, a loyalty card or even a
warm, genuine smile can make all the difference.
This is your
window of
opportunity to
win‘enthusiasts’
for your brand -
the people who
will be happy to
recommend you
to others
9
Engage with your clients
If you know your business well, you’ll
probably understand your clients (and
potential clients) well too.
You can demonstrate your understanding
by imparting the information they will
appreciate and understand.
Don’t be afraid to go into detail when
it’s appropriate. Sometimes it’s small
things that confirm to your clients
you are truly on their wavelength.
Top Ten Tips to Build Your Brand

7. Try not to
change your
brand values -
It’s harder and
more expensive
to change an
image than it
is to build one
from scratch
10 Be consistent
The consistency of your marketing message
is essential. The more you repeat it, the more
powerful it becomes and the more firmly
established your reputation becomes in the
minds of your clients.
While one message might sound restrictive,
in actual fact it allows you more freedom.
BMW for example, want their clients to believe
their cars are “the Ultimate Driving Machine”,
whether they are in the market for a small
electric car, or large luxury model. The positive
brand identity underpins their brand in every
context.
Equally, a store with a reputation for good value
or high style will attract clients at every price
point. And a respected brand of coffee can
enhance the sales of any cafe that serves it.
People like to know what you are and
over time a consistent brand message
will become increasingly powerful.
Top Ten Tips to Build Your Brand

8. Top Ten Tips to Build Your Brand
Let’s build your
business starting now
In summary
to build your brand you should:
Define who your
target market is
Write the way
you would talk
to clients
Create a point
of difference
Be bold and
speak confidently
Engage with
your clients
Be consistent with
your marketing
messages
Write your
elevator pitch
Keep it simple
and stick to one
promise
Remember your
brand and your
brand promise
Present what you
are offering with
your visual identity
1
5 6 7 8 9 10
2 3 4