By Sajju Jain
Imagine your favourite ice cream, the one you love the most. You can easily spot its colourful package at the store, and just seeing it makes you happy and excited. That feeling and knowing is brand awareness. If you are a startup, launching a new brand is like finding space for your own stall in a bustling market. Everyone’s selling something, and buyers have seen it all. So, how do you get people to stop and look?
The Unseen Visionary
This story begins with you, the founder, who starts with nothing but an idea. It’s a good idea, but so what? Ideas are like grains of sand on a beach – countless. The game begins only once you understand your crowd.
Your first step is not to broadcast, but to listen and learn, tap into your empathy, put yourself in your customers shoes; understand their silent wishes and unspoken problems. This is where you learn to speak their language, not through keywords, but through understanding.
Making Your First Noise
You’ve listened, you’ve learned, but how do you make your own voice heard? Not with the blunt force of traditional marketing but with the precision of a storyteller. Share your story, but keep it real. Skip the jargon. Talk like you’re explaining your business to a friend over coffee. What’s your mission? Why should anyone care?
Your first blog post, social media story, or email newsletter is chapter one. You need to make it crisp and sticky. Craft a narrative so compelling that your audience sees themselves as the protagonist. This is not a sales pitch; it’s the beginning of a long journey where your customers are not spectators but co-travellers.
Gathering the Tribe
As your story resonates, a tribe begins to form – followers, believers, and fellow dreamers. This is your community, not just a market segment. The platforms you choose aren’t just megaphones; they’re campfires around which your tribe gathers. Yet, it’s not about the platform; it’s about the connection.
Engagement is the new currency. Speak with your community, not at them. Your brand should be a dialogue, a shared narrative that grows with each interaction. Remember, a like, share, or comment is the digital equivalent of a nod of approval or an eager nod for more. The goal is to make fans, not just buyers.
The Art of Remembrance
In the digital age, attention is fleeting. To be unforgettable, your brand must become easily recognisable. Consistency is king to become the brand that people can spot from a mile away. This is where the visual and verbal identity of your brand – the logo, the colours, the voice – becomes your tribe’s flag.
Consistency breeds familiarity, and familiarity breeds trust. Let your brand be a lighthouse, a constant and comforting presence. When your audience needs you, they should know exactly where to find you.
The Path of Persistence
Once you are a voice within the marketplace, you’re part of the conversation. But the market is an ocean, and staying afloat means paddling with purpose. This is where tools like community engagement, content marketing, SEO, targeted advertising, etc. become vessels to carry your message further.
Measure everything. Be adaptable – ready to change course with the winds of market trends and consumer feedback. Use data like a compass to steer your ship, but never lose sight of your brand’s core promise.
The Wrap-Up
The startups that rise above the noise are those that understand the power of a sincere story, a community’s warmth, and the courage to adapt without losing their essence. Remember, building an unforgettable brand is a marathon, not a sprint.
The author is an entrepreneur and graduate of Harvard Business School