“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” – Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.

We all know more than a few famous brand names – Google, Nike, Netflix, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, are just a few which are recognisable around the world.

These brands have captured people’s imagination, developed a reputation for innovation and reliability, and set their standards for excellence within their respective industries.

It takes years to build a brand that people know and trust, but the reward in terms of sustainable revenue and loyal customers makes the time and effort more than worth it.

Yello has this advice for any solopreneur, micro or small business owner who wants to create a brand that will stand out from the crowd.

Know your audience

As with all marketing tools, when it comes to your brand, you need to know who it is aimed at and what they expect. This means getting to know your audience.

Think about the people who are interested in your products and services and build an accurate brand buyer persona. What do they look like? Where do they live? What is their gender and age range? How much money do they earn? What brands do they already buy from?

Once you answer these questions using surveys, polls, and social media analytics, you can start thinking about how your brand will make a lasting impression.

What’s your unique value proposition?

Now you know more about your target audience you can concentrate on what you want them to know about you. Write out a short mission statement and keep it in mind whenever you create a marketing campaign.

Think about what you are offering, how you aim to be different from the competition, why people should care, and make the answers to these questions the foundation for your brand’s overall messaging.

Understanding and focusing on your unique value proposition will make your brand durable, authentic, and memorable.

Most of the brands we love have stayed around so long, because they did not try to copy others, and instead used what makes them different to their advantage.

Be consistent

Once you know who you are talking to, and what you want to say, the next step to building a brand is consistency.

All your marketing materials, social media posts, traditional advertising, and sales and customer service interactions must align with your brand’s purpose, message, and voice.

Choose a tone that speaks to your target audience and allows them to relate and connect to you. Your audience will come to understand what to expect from you, and that will build and enhance your reputation over time.

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Establishing your brand in the marketplace will take time and effort. You’ll need to follow these steps and continuously monitor your brand’s performance over time to stay relevant.

When your brand becomes synonymous with the attributes you and your customers value, you’ll have successfully transitioned beyond a logo and a slogan to a brand name that people trust, remember, and respect.

Sources: Shopify, Freshsparks, and HubSpot.