According to a study from Salsify, 46 percent of consumers would be willing to pay more to purchase from brands they can trust, which goes to show the immense power of branding. In fact, you could go as far as saying that the strength of your brand image is one of the most important determinants of success for your business.
In addition, a strong brand image can also help you attract and retain top talent. Candidates are more likely to be interested in working for companies with positive reputations, and current employees are less likely to leave if they feel proud of the organization they work for.
Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to improve your brand image, and not all of them are expensive or time-consuming. With this in mind, we have put together five tips to help improve your brand image so you can continue growing your business and building deeper relationships with your target audience.
Keep Your Branding Message Consistent With Your Values
88 percent of consumers say that authenticity is important when deciding what brands they support, so it’s essential that your marketing campaigns reflect your company’s core values. Are you an environmentally-friendly business? Then make sure your advertising campaigns reflect that.
Do you pride yourself on being a family-friendly company? Again, make sure this comes across in all of your branding efforts. The most important thing is to stay consistent with your messaging.
If you try to be everything to everyone, you will only end up confusing your target audience and diluting your brand image. It’s far better to focus on a few key values and make sure these are always at the forefront of your mind when planning marketing campaigns or designing new products.
Understand Your Target Audience
If you want to improve your brand image, it’s essential that you have a good understanding of your target audience. After all, how can you build a strong relationship with your customers if you don’t know what they’re looking for?
To achieve this, make sure you carry out regular market research, so you can stay up-to-date with the latest trends and understand your target audience’s needs and wants. In addition, don’t forget to segment your audience, so you can tailor your marketing campaigns to specific groups.
By doing this, you’ll be able to create content that is far more likely to resonate with your target audience, which in turn will help improve your brand image.
Make Web Accessibility A Priority
In today’s digital world, your website is often the first point of contact between you and your target audience. As such, it’s essential that web accessibility is at the top of your agenda.
If you are unfamiliar with the term, web accessibility refers to ensuring your website can be navigated by users with disabilities. Put equality at the top of your to-do list for a stellar brand image, and to do the right thing.
There are a number of ways to make your website more accessible, but some of the most effective include adding alt text to images, using clear and concise language, and ensuring your website can be navigated using a keyboard.
Let Your Actions Do The Talking
While advertising and marketing campaigns can certainly help improve your brand image, ultimately it’s your actions that will have the biggest impact. If you want to be seen as a company that is trustworthy and responsible, make sure your actions reflect this – not just your words.
For example, if you’re claiming to be an eco-friendly company, then make sure you’re doing everything you can to reduce your carbon footprint.
Claiming to be an advocate for social justice? Then make sure you’re supporting relevant causes and using your platform to amplify underrepresented voices. No matter what values you want to communicate, make sure your actions always align with your words to ensure maximum impact.
Treat Your Employees Right
Your employees are often the face of your company, so it’s important that you treat them well. Not only will this help improve employee morale and motivation, but it will also reflect positively on your brand image.
To ensure your employees are happy and treated fairly, make sure you’re offering competitive salaries, good working conditions, and opportunities for development. You should also make sure you’re fostering a positive and inclusive culture within your company.
Conversely, everybody knows the impact mistreating workers can have on the integrity of a brand. Take Amazon, for example. The company has a well-documented history of poor working conditions, and as a result, its brand image has suffered.
Apple has also been on the wrong side of public opinion in recent years, with multiple reports of poor working conditions at its factories in China. While it’s certainly not easy to be a perfect employer, it’s important to do everything you can to make sure your workers are treated fairly and with respect.
Final Word
Your brand image is the way your company is perceived by the public. As such, it’s essential that you do everything you can to ensure your brand is seen in a positive light. By following the tips outlined above, you can take steps to improve your brand image and ensure your company is looked upon favorably by customers, employees, investors, and the public.