The way in which the public views your brand determines your business’ success. Strong marketing and advertising techniques can really shape the public’s view of your business. Other ways you can shape the public’s view of your business is by creating ethical and sustainable products and services, and making that known to customers through your marketing and advertising. It is important to live by those ethical values, besides striving for high revenue and sales.
In addition, customer service and responding to criticism well is essential in keeping up your brand’s image. Take advantage of social media and respond to inquiries personally to create a better connection with customers. This will show attention to detail, and will allow customers to feel heard by your business. In addition, how you respond to negative feedback is important too; take it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a business, rather than take it harshly.
There are many ways to manage customer feedback, and direct it to the correct areas in your business. This can be done by publishing customer testimonials and reviews on your social media pages or website to relay the fact that your business is trustworthy and reliable. Additionally, promote any awards or recognitions your brand received publicly so that your reliability can be attested for at an even more credible level.
The reason I mention your brand’s image is because today it is more important than ever, as it plays into your customer’s decisions to purchase a good or service, and from whom. For example, “83% of millennials find it important to purchase from companies that align with their values.”* Customers now care more that their values match with the values of the companies they are investing in for products or services. It is also known that successful companies attribute their own success often to their reputation in and of itself; “Global executives, on average, attribute 63% of their company’s market value to their company’s overall reputation.”** It was found that over half of the executives surveyed rely heavily on their business’ brand image in order to view their business as successful.
Lastly, there are a few ways to improve your brand’s image. The first is by identifying, and making known, your business’ purpose. Allow the purpose to evoke positive emotions from your customers in order to directly correlate with positive behavior on their behalf. Also, make sure that your business can attest to the values you claim to function by. Do not commit to something you simply cannot live up to. Lastly, own up to any mistakes. It is better to be open and honest with those who are investing their time and money into your brand, and learn from experiences to grow.
*https://www.5wpr.com/new/research/5wpr-2020-consumer-culture-report/
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