In today’s competitive market, the public image of any brand or organization is heavily influenced by its visibility in online spaces. Your business practically does not exist if you are hard to find online. Public perception through the internet is an absolute must for any brand, especially for emerging businesses.
To stay afloat and thrive despite the pandemic, you need to work on building a cohesive brand identity. This introduces your organization to consumers online and becomes a great starting point to understand you.
Maintaining Your Offline Model
Just because you are bolstering your brand online does not mean that you have to completely let go of your offline spaces. Take these steps to keep your offline model in its best shape.
1. Mind the design of your store.
Smaller foot traffic should not excuse an unkempt retail space. One step to have a more recognizable and consistent brand image is to design your office and/or store accordingly. The brand name and logo you use for your e-commerce store must be the same as your physical store to make an easier connection.
Bits of personal touches also work to add a more human quality to your small business. Further encourage consumers to support small local businesses by displaying some of your milestones in store premises, too.
Do not miss opportunities to do themed decorations for your promotions when relevant. For instance, set up a wooden American flag on the Fourth of July to match the design of your store with the holiday. Decorate according to each of the seasons, too, to support your ongoing promos.
2. Prioritize safety and sanitation.
In COVID-19, strict safety protocols are also an important aspect of a good marketing strategy. Reassure consumers that you take utmost care to maintain a safe environment in your physical stores. When customers are aware of this, they are even more encouraged to choose your products and services.
Supplement your protocols with signs that inform store visitors of your business’s efforts to keep them safe. When necessary, you can place signs that encourage people to wear masks and sanitize their hands before and after shopping.
3. Turn it into an order pickup space.
Some business owners think they have no more use for their physical stores once they have launched their e-commerce pages. This is not always the case. For brands that sell products, your office can become a hub for customers to pick up their orders once they have checked them out from your shop.
The store pickup option makes it convenient for customers, too, as they do not have to be on the lookout for deliveries. They only need to visit your local store to check their items and easily approach an attendant should there be concerns about any items.
Migrating to the Online Space
Maintaining your offline store helps inform the decisions you make as you move your store online. What you learn is important to boost your presence online and differentiate yourself from competitors.
1. Lock in your target audience.
It is easy to want to cater to everyone when going online because of the potentially wide reach the internet offers. However, it is a waste of resources. You do not have to make your product relate to everyone.
When you attempt to accommodate every possible audience into your brand, it ultimately loses its identity. Narrow down the primary market for your product line based on your local customers and the use of your product, instead.
2. Know what your competitors are doing.
With a clear target market and an existing product line, it becomes easier to tell who your competitors are in the space. You must next research them. Understand what makes them special from a consumer standpoint and see how they market themselves towards their audience.
A deep understanding of your competitors helps you respond and distinctly build your brand identity from these other players.
3. Be smart and active in your content marketing.
Find your target market and go where they are on social media. Then create engaging posts that inform and invite based on the applicable content forms on these platforms.
Go heavy on visuals if they are on Instagram. On Facebook, a varied content lineup with visuals, informative text posts, and photo albums work. Post regularly and make sure that each post says something about your brand and your products.
Your online and offline identities should not work against each other. Follow these steps to create a cohesive brand image that brings results to your small business.
