For businesses that want to leave a long-lasting impression on the market, brand positioning would be a huge help. It can help you run your marketing campaigns on a clear path, create accurate customer messaging, and drive your business forward. Remember that the brand-building process is a daunting task, and it cannot be done overnight.
With a strong brand positioning strategy, you can create and leave a unique impression in the minds of your target market. The goal here is for them to associate your products and services with something desirable and specific. To guide you in successfully positioning your brand, here are a few steps to follow.
Know your current positioning
If you’re already in the market, you might not put much time into positioning before your launch. Determining your current positioning is necessary if you want to be more strategic. Look at everything, from your best-selling product features to the propositions you lead with. You’d also want to think about what you want to offer in the future and why you lose deals to competitors. Depending on the type of your business and goals, take into account the emotional impression of the brand. Check if your target market gets excited about your brand. If there’s a connection between the customers’ emotions and behavior and your brand, you’re on the right track.
Determine your competitors
In case you’re not yet in the market, begin by identifying your competition. Understanding your competitors will enable you to position your brand effectively. A simple way to do this is to first study your market and determine what companies sell similar products to yours. Find out what businesses sell to your target demographic, may it be in software or retail. You can hire a brand management company to perform a competitor analysis for you.
These professionals cannot only identify your competitors but also monitor the current trends in the industry you’re in. If you want an accurate brand positioning strategy, you’ll need an expert to conduct a competitive marketing analysis. As for your team, you can have your sales department acquire feedback from customers or use social media to discover more about your competitors.
Create a positioning statement
The next step is to create a brand positioning statement, which summarizes what your brand does, why, and how. You need to be clear and accurate when creating your statement. Focus on your target audience and gather details about who they are and how they relate to your brand. Aside from the customers, you’d also want to describe the strengths and offers of your business and use them to create an impactful brand positioning statement. The more unique your brand messaging is, the better.
In addition to that, your positioning statement should also come with proof. Double-check your work and tweak it as many times as needed. Only promote the final version of your positioning statement to avoid confusing the target market.
Put the statement to use
Once you have the final version of the positioning statement, you now need to incorporate it into your overall branding strategy. Start by testing, experimenting, and collecting feedback. This helps you determine if your positioning is achieving the goals you set. At the same time, identify your brand’s key asset, whether it’s your delivery style or content. Listen carefully to what your customers have to say and ask them what’s unclear and what resonates with them. Following the launch of your new positioning statement, check for trends or spikes in your sales pipeline and website traffic. You can do this by monitoring your social media comments and mentions.
Ensure consistent messaging
Another crucial part of executing your new positioning is creating consistent messaging across all channels. Determine every touchpoint your customers come across with your brand. These can be your landing pages, website, marketing emails, paid ads, print media, and more. The messaging should be consistent and aligned with your positioning. Use the right language, tone of voice, imagery, and colors. Do not clash visual design and content. For instance, in uploading your brand elements such as color palettes or fonts, craft the templates that you’ll be using.
Take note that these are just general guidelines in creating a good brand positioning strategy. Don’t forget to take your time and stay flexible because market trends and customer preferences can change. If you want to stay on track, always focus on three objectives: relevance, differentiation, and credibility. This way, you can ensure your brand will be valuable and meaningful to your target customers.
