There’s an opportunity out there to start your own business, and it’s on the upswing. Many people have already done it, and we’re in a branding gold rush where people are thinking up new and innovative ways to solve problems, find funding, and develop apps for new technologies.
Branding is different from what it was just ten years ago. In the olden days of the 90’s in order for brands to get to the people they had to advertise by more modest means: billboards, newspapers, magazines, and on the sides of trucks.
In today’s market all you need is a strong brand and a worthwhile product or service. Word of mouth, once useful, but not capable of a national campaign, is now empowered through social media to get brand attention spread to multiple markets without the costly campaigns.
Remember to build brand equity, for yourself, and not just for your business, and don’t assume people will help you do it without your involvement. Put effort into your networking, people are going to help you if they’re interested, be transparent in your company as you hit the Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media avenues to keep that interest. People have asked me which social network they should get on and the truth is use them all, if you’re developing a brand they only help reach more eyeballs, and that should be your goal. Connect to anyone, everyone, every way you can.
Remember the support you receive while you build your brand, and make sure to thank your user base—the people that care about you and about your brand. People are looking for businesses that are transparent, that communicate and care about them. Make sure to reach out and thank them. You can do that by writing good content, introducing them to the behind the scenes, and curating the content well by keeping it up to date and useful.
As marketing channels become increasingly blurred between traditional and social media brands will find that the avenues they can take to find awareness of their product are service become easier, and less competitive. Social media exists as a personal, trusted and direct point of access to these more and more consumers. It is essential that brands begin get out there now while consumers are comfortable with sharing branded advertising with their friends and colleagues, or they risk losing their head start into a brand new channel of advertising. The iron is hot, strike it now.
