B2B Branding

B2B Branding: What Not To Do

May 23, 2017 by K-Kom

I think it’s safe to say that having a great brand is the goal of every world-class business out there today. So what defines a strong brand, and how do you know if your business is on its way to worldwide success or will be eaten alive this year by the local competition?

No obvious unique factor

You may think you’re unique compared to your competitors, and even if you know you are, is this apparent to your potential buyers? Without making it obvious, customers have a good chance of buying elsewhere, especially if another business makes their own uniqueness more obvious than you do. Get creative with this differentiator – great customer service and reliable products don’t cut it if your competitors can easily say the same. On the other side, don’t copy-cat other players in your industry. Always try to be recognizable.

Misunderstanding what a brand is, and how important it can be

Some think of a brand as a logo or mission statement, when it really has more to do with how visible you are in the marketplace and what kind of reputation you have with the outside world. With a strong brand, you will attract not only more customers but better employees, the ability to branch into other industries or services and give the new parts of the business some initial strength using that positive reputation.

Assuming you know your target audience and competitors

We all know what happens when we assume. It’s a good practice to periodically conduct research on these so you can keep growing faster than the businesses who neglect to do this.

Aiming too low or making false promises

To have a truly successful, lasting business, you must be genuinely interested in it and aim to be the best because you want to offer the industry something truly unique and beneficial. This will ensure success every time. On the other side, don’t offer things you can’t deliver. This will hurt the trust clients will have for you which can completely destroy a business.

Do some of these points sound familiar? If they do, you’re certainly not alone, not every brand can hack national or worldwide success. But, does your business have what it takes? K-Kom, Inc. is happy to rework your brand strategy, or your B2C or B2B marketing strategies as a whole and help your business grow!

B2B Branding: Developing a Brand Strategy

May 16, 2017 by K-Kom

As consumers, we have our own experiences with different brands…McDonald’s…Green Bay Packers…Toyota. The mention of a name, the smell of a french fry, the last game that caused a team not to go to the super bowl… all of these things bring thoughts to our minds – positive, negative, maybe a little of both, hunger, guilt…maybe no feelings at all, depending on how that brand’s target market matches up with your interests.

Be the Best In a Niche

Be the best at something. You will likely never be the best at everything, and if you want to offer many services or products, feel free, but focus a little more effort on something you know you can be the best at, with the mindset to be the best in the world while you’re at it. That product or service’s reputation will bring your company forward as a whole, based on the Halo Effect discovered by psychologist Edward Thorndike.

“Whilst the fox knows many things, the hedgehog knows one big thing” – Good to Great by Jim Collins. In an ancient Greek parable discussed in this book, the fox tries a different strategy each day to capture the hedgehog, but the hedgehog always does what he does best – defends himself perfectly.

Dividing your marketing budget across too many services and too many audiences will provide your company little to no progress in any direction at all, and this is unfortunately the path many failing businesses choose. No brand wants to be known as a “jack of all trades but a master of none” right? So first focus on where you know you have strength, build up that area’s visibility and reputation, then leverage that power later on to expand into more industries and relevant target audiences.

B2B Branding Strategies (also relevant to B2C)

Don’t just use social media. DOMINATE.

We’re aware of how important social media is for businesses today, but anyone and everyone builds a profile and posts once in awhile. The key, while it’s still in its early stages, is to become known as a leader in this space. Start a social media strategy and build on it as you go. See what your competitors and related businesses are posting, and what their audiences respond to; follow their followers, see what their lives are like. Social media and content go hand in hand….

Build a content strategy

Content is king, so it’s also fantastic to build out a content strategy, and share your epic content on social media. Everything ties together quite nicely if you do it right! Providing education or extra value to current and potential clients gives your business great bonus and trust points. Don’t forget to make sure you’re tracing out your company’s core values and brand message through all of this content consistently.

Hand-pick and land a few clients you’d be proud to have

A reputation can be built single-handedly by one or two really great clients or dramatic case studies. Of course, everyone wants these clients, but not many people plan on it ever happening (thus, it never does… don’t be like them! Have a few dream clients you really plan to get, sooner rather than later).

Develop a few industry experts that people know about

Similarly to a university with a Nobel Prize winning professor, having a known expert working for your company can do wonders for your reputation, like the Halo Effect mentioned earlier. Develop one or two employees who are motivated by this idea (and would like to be experts) and your brand will reap the rewards.

Do great projects with strategically chosen partners

This is not sponsorship. This is more than that, like conducting research with a university, or starting a new education program. These things should stay relevant to your goals, while providing value to others and showing your knowledge dominance in your industry.

If you’re looking for some professional services marketing, K-Kom has a vast portfolio of B2B marketing strategies and experience, so when you’re ready to take your business to the next level, we’ll be ready to become part of your team.

B2B Branding Checklist: Implementing Your Brand Strategy

May 12, 2017 by K-Kom

So far we’ve brainstormed your business goals, figured out what you want your brand to stand for, we’ve built your B2C or B2B brand strategy, and now it’s time to implement!

Let’s recap the other steps so you can check them off as you read:

⬜ Determine your business goals for:

⬜ This year

⬜ Next year

⬜ 5 year plan

Don’t be afraid to be specific. The more diligent you are with this step, the faster the business will grow and the more profitable you’ll be. Share the goals with everyone in the company. They’ll create drive, something specific to work towards.

⬜ Determine the areas your business already has some strength in. What service or product offers customers the most value?

⬜ Define your ideal target audience personas. Once again detail is key! Even if you discover later on that they’re not spot on, you can always adjust and improve as you go. Don’t forget to focus on increasing your visibility and positive reputation.

⬜ Target the industries that appear will provide the most promising long-term business. This may apply more to B2B business growth, but do some market research and see what the outlook is like.

⬜ Determine who will be in charge of doing the social media domination and who will execute your killer content strategy. Don’t forget about your industry expert development!

⬜ Put measurement tools in place to track all your progress (or non-progress). This can include your email list, social media progress, leads, keyword searches on targeted terms, etc.

⬜ Regularly review each of these steps, once per month and per quarter is ideal, to make sure you’re doing what you said you would, things are going according to plan, and that you’re on track to reach your goals.

⬜ Lastly, do a yearly review of the strategy as a whole and the results that were achieved because of it. Determine if something similar should be planned for the next year or if coming up with some new ideas is necessary.

To get your B2C or B2B branding underway, contact K-Kom, Inc. and we’ll be glad to answer all of your questions. We also offer digital printing services if you’ve thought about printing, for example, a restaurant menu or full-color brochure.

Thanks for your time and we look forward to working with you!

“OK Google: SEO company in Milwaukee!”

B2B Branding: Understand Your Brand

May 9, 2017 by K-Kom

Business branding has long been important for some companies, and an afterthought for others. Those that have successfully reached a global level have been putting branding at the forefront of their business efforts. But why?

“We have a nice name and logo, we sell stuff, and you know, we’d like to sell more. What else is there to know?”

Unfortunately this isn’t enough in today’s transparency-loving world. People are looking for more. They like stories, especially with drama, a struggle, failure, and then a happy ending. They also want to know if you’re nice to the animals in the area your factory lives in, if you help the local community build new schools and feed the homeless, if you have good customer service, are willing to admit your mistakes, treat customers like family, and want to deliver something wonderful to them. Yes, customers expect a lot, but thanks to them you have a good business. How about a great business? This is where the importance of building a good brand comes in.

Brand Reputation

Your brand starts with your reputation – what do customers say about you (what would you like them to say), how do they feel about you, what can they expect when doing business with you? Then, how well known are you within your industry, and more importantly your target market? A positive reputation plus increasing visibility is a recipe for success!

If you’re already established, it’s good to reevaluate once in awhile and ensure your brand still says what you want it to say, otherwise re-branding may be beneficial for say, boosting sales, or maybe reaching a younger audience.

In the end, whatever you decide to say, you must stick to it and deliver. Being genuine and truthful is more important than ever before, and if people see a lie or something sketchy, all your hard work can be ruined instantly with a little blog or social media action by the disappointed customer.

Successful Branding Benefits

Once you build the dream brand you’ve always wanted for your business, you can start to enjoy the perks other big brand names enjoy

More referred clients (B2B lead generation!)
More organic clients
More easily beating out your competitors
Higher prices for the higher level of trust customers have for you
Higher closing percentage

Successful Brand Qualities

Specific Target Audience – Persona Development

Some businesses avoid making their target audience too specific, which isn’t going to get them very far in the long run. Understanding the types of people that actually seek out and enjoy your brand image will bring you far more success in the end.

Spotless Reputation

There are plenty of “ok” brands out there that I personally bounce between with their competitors without a second thought. Why? Either I’m not exactly in their target market, or they sometimes poke little holes in my boat… Obviously, it would be ideal to build up such a great image that no one would even consider any other brand. Great, reliable service plays a big part in this!

Real Visibility

Do the people you care about know you exist? And if they do, how much do they know? Your name and logo? Do they know about the many efforts you’ve put into providing a great product/service? Sometimes when a company has too many audiences they’re to reach, it’s difficult to communicate to them all at the same time, with the detail you’d like.

Premium Status

Once you obtain a superb brand status, people may begin expecting you to charge premium fees, because that has become the expected course of action for any very successful business, otherwise people may ask, “What’s wrong? Why are they so cheap if they’re supposedly so good?”
To get your brand built up to where you’d like takes time and dedication, but it’s worth it in the long run if you would like to see your business outlive you. Contact K-Kom Marketing with any questions, if you’re looking for some new B2B marketing services, or promotional strategies. We will be happy to provide some insights (and some out-of-sights!).