All businesses have growth aspirations, and having goals to work toward shows that your business is moving in the right direction. However, as marketplaces become more crowded and customer expectations shift, it can seem as though the leap from SME to industry thought leader is a giant one. But it can be done, and positioning your brand as the “go-to” expert in the industry may be easier than expected when done strategically and gradually.
So how do you grow your business’s reputation and bottom line in small, achievable steps? Read on and follow these top tips to maximize your brand’s potential and start to cement your influence.
Learn from Your Customers
Brands often assume that no one knows their business better than their own employees — but that couldn’t be more wrong. Customers have a third-party and usually unbiased view of any business they interact with, and it’s not uncommon for their perception to differ from those who experience the brand internally. When phrased appropriately and intelligently through a relevant channel, asking feedback questions to those who have interacted with your brand can provide invaluable business insights to learn from. Feedback tools and programs should only be put in place if they offer sufficient analysis and reporting opportunities for the business to use in their growth.
Household names such as AXA, Iceland, and Vauxhall use independent review services to collect feedback from customers and analyze their performance so they can continuously improve their products, services, and brands.
Publish Relevant Content
Creating and publishing relevant content online is heavily favored by Google for its SEO rankings, as it demonstrates authenticity and relevancy to its machine learning algorithms. However, real people also benefit from high-quality content as it shows them that a brand is a knowledgeable expert in its field. Content creation offers resources for customers (both existing and potential) to learn more from and refer back to, giving them the chance to convert if they like what they see. What’s more, content publication also reiterates the brand’s good reputation, which could lead to PR and opportunities at industry events.
Buffer, a social media tracking and scheduling app, is a very niche product but produces reams of relevant content in its open blog. This positions Buffer as an expert in its field and the go-to place for those seeking information about social media.
Provide Lead Magnets
Providing free content online that can act as a lead magnet is a fantastic marketing tool for conversion. It also gives potential customers (as well as stakeholders, others in the industry, and competitors) proof of a company’s knowledge and expertise. This solidifies the brand’s position as a reliable source and offers the perception of a “try before you buy” offer for those who are still in the process of making a business decision. Too often, businesses shy away from giving away anything for free, but those who know their worth aren’t afraid to share it.
For example, beer firm Brewdog publishes the recipe for every beer they make publicly and allows them to be accessed by anyone for free. While most people won’t have the know-how or equipment to then go ahead and brew those beers, this still proves their expertise to those who do access this free information.
Show Up
Businesses need to be highly visible and heard if they are going to be recognized as industry leaders — as, if not, others will step up and take that place. An active online presence should be maintained, industry events should be attended, and customers should be responded to whichever way they decide to approach you. A multi-channel approach should be taken, and no one line of communication ever solely relied upon. Many in business hold the misconception that opportunities will be offered to them once they become known and respected industry leaders. The truth, however, is that opportunities are there for the taking at whatever stage you are at of your business journey, so going out and making things happen by showing up is the best possible policy. The phrase “fake it till you make it” can apply to brands as much as it does to people, and when done with confidence and determination, you can reap the rewards.
Innocent smoothies, now a multi-million-dollar faction of Coca-Cola, was started by its founders giving up their jobs and turning up at a festival to sell smoothies with no experience or marketing knowledge at all. This risk-taking has benefited them hugely today, and now they’re one of the world’s most recognizable brands!
Industry leaders are made, not born. Hard work and perseverance are the ways to succeed. By taking small practical steps to build up your whole brand experience, you can go from novice to expert before you even know it.
