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We\u2019ve all witnessed it \u2013 the seemingly overnight success of some startups that begs the question \u201cwhat\u00a0am I doing wrong here?\u201d Is it the idea? The timing? The commitment? Why do some companies transform into breakout brands, while others struggle along?<\/p>\n
In my\u00a025 plus years of working with entrepreneurs and startups,\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019ve noticed\u00a0three similarities between the companies that skyrocket vs. the ones that sputter out.\u00a0Here are three ingredients that will fortify your brand for immediate growth.<\/p>\n 1. Be Memorable<\/strong><\/p>\n All things being equal, the tie goes to the company that stands out in the consumers\u2019 mind. Does anyone remember HDDVD? It\u2019s a tough one to wrap your brain and tongue around, compared to the winner\u00a0of that format battle\u2026 BluRay. And it\u2019s not the only example. Hydrox made cookies years before their\u00a0competitor came in with a more well-rounded name \u2013 Oreo.<\/p>\n When naming a company or product, especially an innovative one that can define the category, create something gooey, sticky and memorable. Google, Amazon and Apple are all examples of creating colourful and memorable brand names that stand out.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a tip. Try using your potential brand name in a sentence, as in \u201cCan you FedEx me that package?\u201d \u201cCan you Google that word?\u201d Memorable brands with verb potential have a higher chance for success. Is it easier to schedule a Go To Meeting meeting? Or schedule a WebEx?\u00a0A great brand name won\u2019t make a business succeed, but a poor brand name can make one fail.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Consumers can\u2019t remember what they can\u2019t recall, so give your company brand a boost with a name that stays top of mind.<\/p>\n Branding checklist:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Is your brand name\/image unique?<\/p>\n \u2022 Is your brand \u201csticky\u201d and easy-to-recall?<\/p>\n \u2022 Do you have a \u201chook\u201d or catchy tag line that makes a point?<\/p>\n \u2022 Do you have a \u201cbrand story\u201d or platform beyond the name itself?<\/p>\n \u2022 Does your brand create an interested \u201cHuh? Tell me more!\u201d or a \u201cWhat? I don\u2019t get it?\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Be Scalable<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve met hundreds of entrepreneurs with great ideas that worked well and sold well, only to see them\u00a0burn out. The problem wasn\u2019t drive, determination or even necessarily the cash. It was the failure to create a scalable model of the business. In the excitement of seeing an idea come to life, it\u2019s easy to overlook the bigger question of \u201cwhat if this works?\u201d<\/p>\n Is your success something that can be documented, formulated and scaled so that others can do the heavy lifting? If not, you might create a brand with a lot of buzz, but also a lot of work \u2013 work that will keep you up\u00a0nights wondering how to get it all done.<\/p>\n Great brands are built on consistency. At every point, make a note of what you do that works, your \u201csecret formula,\u201d and make it repeatable. Think of your business as if you plan to franchise it someday. Could someone new come in and do what you do? If not, you are really developing more of a personal brand that depends on your continual efforts to grow. If you are the face of your own franchise, then you will have to continually work harder.<\/p>\n Branding Checklist:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Identify what you are doing when you are at your best (your \u201cbrand recipe\u201d).<\/p>\n \u2022 Build repeatable systems and not just personal expertise.<\/p>\n \u2022 Replace yourself by hiring in your weakest area.<\/p>\n \u2022 Expand your audience by growing virtually and\/or geographically.<\/p>\n 3. Be \u201cShareable\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n A common complaint I hear from good business owners is that their company is the world\u2019s \u201cbest kept secret.\u201d While meant as a bragging point, it\u2019s really an indicator that something is broken. Viral ideas, by nature, tend to spread. So if you truly have a standout business, then make it easy for others to find, recommend and share.<\/p>\n Start by building your customer base. These are sometimes referred to\u00a0as your \u201cbrand evangelists.\u201d They are the ones that love you and your services. They will promote you, recommend you at every turn and preach your gospel. Be sure to recognise and reward these ardent fans, either in mentions or with special \u201cinside\u201d perks such as coupons, discounts, and early samples of new products. Build this base by doing the following\u2026<\/p>\n Branding Checklist:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Create an opt-in email list and place it on your home page.<\/p>\n \u2022 Incentivise viewers to sign up by offering a discount, service or white paper.<\/p>\n \u2022 Build a customised company Facebook and Twitter page to engage customers.<\/p>\n \u2022 For B2B companies, be sure to have a company page and presence on\u00a0LinkedIn.<\/p>\n \u2022 Blog about new tips, ideas and strategies that will help serve your clients.<\/p>\n \u2022 Convert these blog posts into articles for distribution on the article marketing sites.<\/p>\n \u2022 Create short \u201chow to\u201d videos and place on YouTube in your own channel.<\/p>\n \u2022 Add the various Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other social media icons to your site for easy sharing.<\/p>\n \u2022 Cross link all your articles, videos and blog posts to keep customers engaged and on your site.<\/p>\n By keeping your company memorable, scalable and share-able,\u00a0you can leverage and build your brand image so that the\u00a0brand does the heavy lifting<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0vs. you doing all the work. Unique and compelling brands, ones that can be quickly ramped up and expanded, stand the best chance for quick success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We\u2019ve all witnessed it \u2013 the seemingly overnight success of some startups that begs the question \u201cwhat\u00a0am I doing wrong here?\u201d Is it the idea? The timing? The commitment? Why do some companies transform into breakout brands, while others struggle along? In my\u00a025 plus years of working with entrepreneurs and startups,\u00a0I\u2019ve noticed\u00a0three similarities between the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6,4],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=590"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3285,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590\/revisions\/3285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafigo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}