Your brand is your story—what you weave into the fabric of who your firm is. It is what your firm stands for and how you create something unique for your clients. It’s important to make sure that your brand is known beyond the interior of your office. That is where strategic brand management and brand positioning come in. Defining your brand is very important, but then you must be sure of your brand’s clarity in the market.
Clarify your vision
Firstly, it is essential to define your brand’s mission, vision and values. If you aren’t clear as to your vision and what you stand for, then how will you identify and attract your ideal clients? How will they find you, and as your firm grows, how will they continue to find you? This is why your vision needs to be very clear. Consider where you are going and how you will get there. If your firm communicates a clear vision and has clear branding, you will more easily attract ideal clients who fit your vision and your brand.
Assess your current brand position
You need to measure and understand your current brand position to be strategic in making any necessary changes or adjustments. How can you improve what you don’t know? Use metrics such as brand awareness, ideal client loyalty, and referrals from ideal clients. Analyze engagement on social media and client feedback.
Identify your ideal client
- Describe your ideal projects down to the last detail, and identify which of those projects provide the highest profit margin
- Identify and list past clients with whom you most enjoyed working and why
- Identify shared characteristics of those clients and what challenges and fears they shared
- Use the information you gather to create your ideal client profile
- Be specific about the story of your ideal client—the more details, the better
- Include goals and values, where they get their information, demographics, and challenges and fears.
- Don’t forget to calculate the lifetime value of a client. If you do and if you execute a follow-up plan to nurture that relationship, you may receive repeat business from that ideal client as well as referrals. Successful firms stay in contact with their clients for life, constantly offering them simple ways to do business over and over again.
Define your unique brand positioning
Brand positioning allows your firm to differentiate itself in the market. It helps your firm increase brand awareness, communicate value, and justify pricing. And all of these factors can impact your bottom line!
Brand positioning involves identifying or positioning your brand in the mind of your clients. Although it is positive for your firm to continually add new ideal clients, it is important to build strong, long-term relationships with existing clients through your brand. This will ensure continued future success. Identify and/or develop brand positioning strategies that will set your firm apart. A few of those might include:
- Developing exceptional client experiences every time a client or potential client interacts with your brand.
- Unique features that set your firm apart from the competition.
- Niche positioning: This niche could be a brand that focuses on a luxury or specialized market. Or it might be how you market your brand and who you have identified as your ideal clients. Maybe those clients are in areas of hospitality or medical design.
Align visual identity and messaging
Assure that everything connected to your firm is aligned with your firm’s brand. That means the graphic designs, photographs, social media posts, your logo—every item that leaves your office. Use every opportunity to share your brand, including contracts, billing statements, etc.
- Your reputation is known online and offline among peers, friends, and neighbors before a prospect even contacts you—are you clearly communicating your values, culture, and brand to filter out non-ideal clients?
- Have a very clear picture of your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) by making your brand experience transparent to prospects. Address their fears and concerns not just by what you say, but by what happy clients say. Use testimonials that share positive experiences when working with your firm, such as:
- You do what you said you were going to do
- You follow up when they least expect it
- You give them more than they expected
- You offered them something they didn’t know they needed
- Be sure your messaging clearly shows how your firm’s values and culture align with those of your ideal clients
- Don’t forget to express your gratitude!
Communicate your brand internally
Make sure you hire to fit your firm’s values and culture. Not only should all materials representing your firm communicate your brand, but so should your entire team. Internal brand communication goes beyond just building awareness of your firm’s values. It inspires your team members to form an emotional connection with the brand and the firm. If your brand is successfully communicated internally, employee retention increases, absenteeism decreases, and clients are happier. There is a positive impact on your team’s loyalty and commitment to your brand.
Communicate your mission and values to employees. Post it in the office. Include it in team communications. Make sure it’s part of the interview process and team member onboarding. Then practice what you preach—live your mission and values every day. Let them guide your actions and decision-making, and encourage your team members to do the same. Create a positive workplace culture that treats everyone on the team just as you want them to treat your clients.
Evolve with intention
For your brand to continue to grow and evolve, you need to be intentional. Make sure your branding evolves with purpose. It needs to be intentional so that it continues to clearly reflect the values and culture of your firm. Develop your vision for future growth and the plan to get there. Ensure that, just as you review your business and marketing plans as well as your budget every year, you also need to evaluate your branding. Is it still viable for where your business is positioned, or does it need to be adjusted to better fit any expansions or changes in your business?
Growing and sustaining your unique brand focuses on ensuring the brand evolves with market changes while preserving its core values. To do so involves identifying opportunities for brand growth, such as market expansion, new product introductions, and brand extensions, to drive your brand forward.
By following these steps, your brand can effectively align its vision with your market position and continually evolve with positive results. Strategic brand management leads to increased client loyalty, better brand recognition, and increased financial performance!