Forget-Me-Not Branding In 5 Easy Steps

Every entrepreneur wants to create the sort of brand that changes the game, one that sticks in the mind of every person that brushes past it, one that becomes so well-known it goes further than just being synonymous with a product or language, it actually replaces the generic language. That’s where you want to be aiming because even if you only get halfway there, you can guarantee your branding is going to work wonders.
Oh and, in case you’re wondering, yes, there are brands out there that have done this. Think about it. When you ordering a drink at a restaurant, do you ask for a cola or a Coke? When you’ve had a bit of an accident, do you grab a plastic bandage or a Band-Aid? When you are in a rush to get across town do you hail a cab or catch an Uber?
These brands are known as proprietary eponyms and they are pretty much the pinnacle of any brands awareness dreams. Of course, the chances of you actually reaching this level and becoming a household name that everyone on planet earth has heard of is not likely. In fact, the odds are severely stacked against you. But, like we said, even getting a fraction of the way there can guarantee you branding success. The question is: how do you even get a fraction of the way there?
Well, the bad news is: it ain’t easy. There is no quick fix, shortcut or combinations of buttons you can bash to cheat your way to the top. But since when has bad news meant impossible? So, without further ado, here are some incredible brand-building strategies that will help your business stick in the minds of your audience like wood glue in the joints of Ikea furniture. Sure, you probably won’t reach the heights of Coca-Cola, but if you’re going to aim for anyone, that’s the inspiration that will take you places.

1. Nail The First Glance

The foundation of every badass and impossibly-memorable brand is their branding. It’s the name and logo and tagline. That’s the cocktail that will kickstart your efforts best of all and have people recognizing you at a moment’s notice or the briefest of glances. Of course, this is no easy feat. So, to help you out, you want something that will get your brand noticed online and in the real world and that means coming up with a logo that represents your business, becomes synonymous with your mission and connects with your target audience, so think about what colors and fonts will nail this when designing your logo.

2. Tell A Story. A Great Story.

If you want to become a memorable brand then you need to hire a stellar content writer; a storyteller that knows how to create a story people will connect with and love. Who you are, how you got here, what made you run with this idea and what this brand means to you is what makes you unique. It’s what sets you apart from everyone else. It’s what makes you one in a billion. All you need to do is find a way – or a person – that can turn this into an emotionally moving and utterly compelling story that connects with your readers on the deepest level and creates an experience they can get on board with. Do that and it will take a whole lot of effort to forget your name. Trust us.

3. Shine A Torch On Your Quirks

Another way to build on your brand is to shine a 1,000,000 lumen torch on its unique personality. When you’re looking for ways to improve your brand awareness, you want to give your brand some quirks and idiosyncrasies, the kind that will make it fun and unique. Sure, you may not work in an industry that’s easy to rock a bit of humor, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a different personality, one that oozes a bit of cool. That said, most industries have enough wiggle room for you to inject a little dose of laughs or personality, and that’s when being outrageous, quirky and clever can see your brand become an overnight sensation. Just look at that Dollar Shave Club video, which went viral in an instant, or the Old Spice ads that no one wanted to skip past. Trust us: nothing sticks like a laugh.

4. Be More Click-Sexy

In a world where 9/10 successes come from the digital world, you need to make sure your brand doesn’t blend into the blur of white noise that is the internet and that means knowing how to stand out from the crowd like a piece of sweetcorn in a bowl of peas. And, there’s nowhere more important to nail this than with your titles, which is why you need to check out this post. It doesn’t matter whether you want to stand out on Google, make people swipe-up on Instagram, get likes on LinkedIn, build a Medium.com following or become noticed on Facebook – your titles are essential. You need to accept written content is king and that means writing something click sexy. Of course, that’s only part of it. There is a growing emphasis on video content and imagery too, all of which can boost your branding and the awareness around it. Your job is to make sure they all compliment one another.

5. Use Influencers To Get In People’s Faces

Influencer marketing is a modern-day phenomenon, but that’s because it works. In fact, 75% of marketers admit to using influencer marketing (I don’t know why we wrote it like that), why is all the proof you need. It’s become one of the most effective and epic ways to get your brand noticed online. The idea is simple: you get people with a bigger than average (sometimes huge) online following to curate a bit of awareness for your brand. It could be reviews from a well-worshipped blogger, having an Insta-star rock your garms in a couple of their posts, getting content endorsements or getting your brand mentioned somewhere like Inc. or Forbes or Thrillist. So many brands have built their following this way. So many. Of course, there is a trick to it, and that’s creating a sort of story to tell. People love stories.