5 Ways to Instantly Build Brand Trust

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Of all the things that go into developing your brand, TRUST is the most important. If customers or clients don’t trust your brand, it isn’t going to last very long.

 

But if you can effectively build brand trust, your brand can keep growing and growing and growing … indefinitely.

 

Need proof? Think of the brands you are most loyal to: Brands like Apple, Ford, Starbucks, Coca-Cola.

 

What do all of these companies have in common? A raving fan base of intensely loyal customers who would never dream of going anywhere else.

 

That’s brand trust.

And that’s what you need to build for your business. Here are five ways to do it.

 

  1. Figure Out Your Superpower

 

Everybody does (at least) one thing really well. For your business, maybe it’s your customer service. Or perhaps it’s product quality. Or deliverability. Or

 

Whatever your superpower is, once you discover it then that unique quality of your business can become the focal point for your branding strategy.

 

The challenge for you is figuring out which of all your best qualities is the absolute greatest. Choose only one.

 

If you focus on too many at the same time, it’s going to be confusing for the campaign and confusing for your customers.

 

Remember: Simple is always better.

 

  1. Be Confident

 

Hey, guess what? If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will either.

 

The people you are pitching your brand to don’t know you. They don’t yet believe in you. They probably are annoyed you are taking up their time.

 

It’s your job to make it worthwhile. And if lack confidence in yourself, they are going to sense it instantly and click off, hang up, or shut the door in your face.

 

And you can’t build your brand if you can’t keep prospective customers engaged.

 

So that means …

 

  • You have to be confident.
  • You have to have something to say.
  • You need to make your brand unique
  • Your brand messaging needs to be instantly engaging

 

Remember: People DO judge a book by its cover.

 

So you have to look the look and play the part.

 

Also, you need to …

 

  1. Walk the Talk

 

The third way to build trust is to never, ever, EVER betray your customer’s trust. Starting from the very beginning.

 

This may seem like Management 101 but you would be amazed by how many business owners make this mistake – either intentionally or by accident.

 

Customers won’t give you a second chance if you make the mistake of misleading them, exaggerating, misrepresenting your products or business, or cheating them. And justifiably so.

 

Remember: There are dozens – if not hundreds – of competitors out there offering products or services similar or even better than yours.

 

In today’s highly competitive marketplace there are no such things as second chances.

 

Instead, you need to build credibility from Day One. If you aren’t sure you can deliver, don’t promise. And when you say something, stick by it. Even if it hurts you financially.

 

It’s often better to lose a little money to gain trust because TRUST pays more long-term dividends for your business.

 

  1. Get Others to Help You

 

The next way to build brand trust is to get other people (or documents) to say nice things about you and your business. This is known as third party credibility and includes (but isn’t limited to):

 

Testimonials – People listen to what other people have to say. So if existing clients, customers, or even just friends say something nice about your business, let people know.

 

Testimonials are one of the oldest and most reliable ways to build trust. And the bigger the credibility of the people making the testimonials, the more positively influential they will be. Look especially for testimonials from doctors, college or university professors, or experts in your business’s field.

 

One more thing: Never stop collecting (and promoting) testimonials. It’s a good idea to constantly actively seek them from satisfied customers in every type of format: Written, video, audio recordings, and even in-person.

 

Formal achievements – Do you have a university degree? An advanced degree? Awards or recognition from important trade organizations or clubs? Tell people. Don’t be shy.

 

You received these honorifics because you earned them. So it’s critical that you let other people know about them because they aren’t going to seek them out on their own. It’s up to YOU to promote YOU.

 

Leverage Influencers – Being a successful business owner is about constantly learning. Find a mentor who has already cracked the code in your industry and try to learn everything you can from them.

 

Building relationships with influencers in your industry also adds credibility to your brand.

 

So don’t be shy! Network! Make friends! Be open to continually learning new things!

 

Use Your Press Clippings – Has the local newspaper written a story about your business? Have you been featured in a TV spot? Better yet, has a national magazine or TV show mentioned your business? Have you been the featured speaker at a national conference?

 

All of these things can be leveraged to build trust in your brand. Spotlight media mentions of your business in your marketing materials. Again, it’s up to you to get customers to trust you. But you can build on every success that has come before.

 

Finally …

  1. Keep Coming Back

 

Woody Allen famously stated, “95 percent of life is just showing up.”

 

The thing about brand building is that it never ends. To be a successful business owner you need to constantly fight the good fight for your brand.

 

Keep coming up with new and interesting ways to tell people about your brand. Then keep drawing attention to your successes and getting media mentions, testimonials, and other third party credibility in front of people.

 

Remember: Success is a self-fulfilling prophesy.

 

If you believe in your business and you are sincere about being an evangelist for your brand, people will listen. Maybe not at first. Maybe not even right away. But eventually.

 

And once you achieve a little success, you can leverage that success into an even bigger success. And then keep coming back again and again to make it better and bigger.

 

Make it easy for people to choose your business, not hard.

 

If you are doing all these things and still aren’t getting traction, then Lytron  can help.

 

Call us today to set up your free consultation. Our expert brand builders can help you define, promote, and expand your brand so that you can achieve the success you deserve.

 

The 12 Brand Archetypes

The 12 Brand Archetypes

You may have heard the term “archetypes” before. Or maybe not. But they are critically important to the success of your business.

 

Why? Because archetypes define psychological mind states that customers have when looking for products, services, and businesses.

 

People make “buy or don’t buy decisions” based on emotions and feelings. Archetypes are simply ways of expressing a set of emotions that instantly attract a certain type of customer.

 

Tap into the one that best defines your brand and you can successfully attract more customers, better clients, and people who are ready to BUY RIGHT NOW.

 

Okay, this is a lot. But it will become clearer when I describe the 12 brand archetypes and the demand triggers they execute in the right customer:

 

The Amazing Magician

 

  • You can make the impossible possible
  • People connect on a spiritual level with your brand
  • Customers are attracted to your personal style and actions

The Magician/Alchemist/Healer archetype is appealing to people who want fast, dramatic change. A brand example would be Apple.

 

The Ordinary Everyman

 

  • You seem like the guy or girl next door
  • You offer people a connection to a community of like-thinking individuals
  • Customers feel like they understand and share your viewpoint

The Everyman appeals to customers who strive to be understood and appreciated. The perfect brand example would be Wal-Mart.

 

The Iconoclast

 

  • You aren’t afraid to tell it like it is
  • You don’t have a lot of patience for fools
  • You speak from a position of authority … and have the credentials to back it up!

The Rebel/Iconoclast appeals to people who aren’t satisfied with the way the world is and want to change it in their image. A great brand example would be Harley-Davidson.

 

The Wise Teacher

 

  • You freely share knowledge
  • You are passionate about keeping people informed
  • Customers admire your intellect and opinions

People who are attracted to the Sage/Mentor/Teacher value wisdom above all else. Brand examples would include The Wall Street Journal.

 

The Brave Explorer

 

  • You have the courage to boldly go where nobody else has gone before
  • You invite people think of themselves in a new and exciting way
  • Customers want to be like you

The Explorer/Guide/Seeker archetype appeals to people who are passionate about experience life first-hand. A brand example would be The North Face.

 

The Entertainer

 

  • You are skilled at making people laugh to forget their problems
  • You show people how to enjoy and appreciate the now rather than worrying about later
  • Customers love to be around you

The Entertainer/Performer/Comedian appeals to people who like to have fun. A brand example would be Old Spice.

 

The General

 

  • You get the job done on time, within budget, and above expectations
  • You cut through the static and get right to the point to deliver success
  • People feel willing to ignore distractions and trust in your proven abilities

The General offers customers seriousness and significance. A brand example would be BMW.

 

The Lover

 

  • Following the heart is more important than thinking too much
  • You forgive people for giving into temptations and desire
  • People feel a strong emotional connection to you

The Lover/Caring Friend appeals to customers who value passion over logic. A terrific brand example would be Haagen-Dazs.

 

The Loving Mother

 

  • You are reliable, caring, and emotionally available
  • You give without worrying about receiving anything back in return
  • People are impressed with your ability to serve

The Caregiver/Servant/Mother appeals to people who want to be cared for. A brand example would be the American Red Cross.

 

The Fierce Warrior

 

  • You can achieve amazing goals even when they seem insurmountable
  • You offer people toughness combined with keen intellect
  • Customers feel like you will inspire them to be responsible

The Hero/Warrior/Protector appeals to customers who want to achieve specific goals or outcomes. A great brand example would be Nike.

 

The Innocent

 

  • You remind people of when times were simpler
  • You exude optimism and hope
  • People are attracted to the purity of your beliefs

The Innocent appeals to customers who want to simplify their lives. A brand example would be Coca-Cola.

 

The Innovative Creator

 

  • You have the ability to show people something new and exciting that they never could have imagined on their own
  • You teach people a craft they can use to improve their own creativity
  • People want to be around you because they feel inspired by your vision

The Innovative Creator appeals to people who want to believe in something bigger than themselves. The best brand example would be LEGO.

 

So which archetype best describes you?

Lytron Design’s Step-by-Step Branding Process

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Every brand is unique. But the approach Lytron  takes to helping clients discover and understand their specific brand follows a predictable pattern.

 

Here is the step-by-step branding process we use to create flourishing, successful brands for our clients. While there are many variables – after all, your brand is distinctly about you! – the strategy is proven to be successful.

 

 

Step 1 – Connecting with Our Clients

 

In order to understand your brand, the branding professionals at Lytron  have to understand you. What makes you tick? What do you want out of your business? What do YOU see as your road to success.

 

Getting to know our clients is the first and – arguably – most important step in the collaborative process of crafting your unique brand. Generally, we begin with a 15- to 20-minute phone call in which we get to know each other and gain an understanding of how we can help each other successful achieve your specific objectives.

 

 

Step 2 – Let’s Talk about Brand Design

 

After our discovery call, it’s time to start thinking visually. How do you envision your brand “looking” like?

 

We often encourage our clients to visually brainstorm in one of a number of ways:

 

  • Creating a vision board that builds a roadmap to what your specific version of success looks like
  • Building a Pinterest page with brand design you like
  • Filling out a questionnaire that includes answers that help us navigate your brand to where you genuinely want it to be
  • Participating in a 60- to 90-minute Skype chat to get “down and dirty” into branding strategies, ideas, and concepts.

By the end of all this prep work, the Lytron  team generally has everything it needs to get going on your unique and successful branding for your business.

 

 

Step 3 – Defining Brand Assets

 

The next step is identifying the special features of your brand that make it unique. These can include specific products or services but also things like your personality, your company culture, and even your aspirations and hopes for the future.

 

You define your business by focusing on what makes it unique and identifying the factors that will make prospective customers and clients choose it from among all the other competitors.

 

 

Step 4 – Brand Building

 

The next step is truly magical. Combining our expertise with your passion for your business, Lytron  collaboratively creates a unique and consistent branding strategy for your business.

 

This can take a variety of forms including everything from logo design, marketing strategies, blog and social media posts, and everything in between.

 

While the basic steps tend to be universal, where they take us together is always magical. And at Lytron , we can’t wait to get started on our journey together with your business!