Creating a brand should be something that is an experience. Your goal as a business should be to produce an image that sets your brand apart and shows customers what your company's values are. Creating a community around your brand is a key asset for the growth of your business, so here are some tips on how to do that:
Define your brand
The first step to creating a strong community around your brand is defining who you are. Find out what your company's core values are and make sure that they are evident to your customers. By doing this, your brand becomes one that is transparent and customers will be drawn to your authenticity. Setting your brand's goals and values will bring in customers who have similar views or even customers that simply resonate with what your brand stands for.
Start with your Team
In order to build a community around your brand you first need to build a community within your team. Your business functioning seamlessly from within sets a great foundation for a brand community. So, how do you build a community with your team? The best way to do this is practice open communication, set team goals, clarify those company values, and create a positive work environment. Some ways to implement a positive team community include:
- Give your coworkers positive reinforcement
- Put emphasis on the importance of onboarding
- Celebrate your wins together
- Encourage communication and collaboration
- Create opportunities for learning
By doing all this you create a brand that is functional and at the end of the day customers will recognize that.
Engage Regularly with your Customers
Customer engagement is key when it comes to growing a community around your brand. By regularly interacting with your customers, you begin to form meaningful relationships that build your trustworthiness and credibility as a business. The consistency of communication between your business and your customers creates a space for your brand that makes customers feel comfortable and even encourages them to engage with each other.
Offer rewards programs or perks
Offering your customers perks or rewards is a great way to increase customer loyalty and promote brand retention. If a customer has an incentive that they benefit from that keeps them coming back, they are going to have a positive mindset about your business. These rewards allow you to give customers a great brand experience time and time again.
Find the right channels
A large part of discovering who your business is as a brand is determining which marketing channel will best allow you to engage with your customers. With social media at an all time peak, there are so many options such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, etc. Find which one enables your following to actively communicate with your business. Things you should consider while making this decision include:
- Audience demographics
- Platform Features
- Budget
- Where your clients will engage the most
Go above and beyond
Lastly, one of the best tips for creating an engaging and comfortable community around your brand is to simply go above and beyond for you customers, consistently. At the end of the day, knowing that a brand truly cares about their customers is something that will create a positive community of brand followers.
Branding can make or break a business and it is something that should be done with utmost care and effort. Be sure to thoroughly think through how you want to approach branding your business and always remember to be authentic. Doing these things will help you gain a community around your brand that excellerates your business and gives you a loyal clientele.
