8 Tips for Building Your Brand

BANGALORE, INDIA: Eight ways to build your brand on the cheap:

1. Killer Customer Service

A bad-experience-turned-awesome can actually be more valuable than a good or expected experience from the get-go, because the customer will have interacted with the brand in a more intimate way and gotten to see your true colors.You could also take a proactive approach to customer service - if your team spends a few minutes on the phone to help a customer find exactly what they're looking for, that's something to brag about. Everyone's in a rush these days, so if you're willing to spend a few extra minutes cultivating relationships with customers they'll tweet about your customer service; these positive experiences can be amplified like crazy on the social web

2. Think Outside the Box

No one ever said you had to spend a ton of money to get your name out there. A big CPG brand might have a budget in the millions, but you can make a splash on a much smaller budget with an innovation.

3. Collaborate

 

We've always heard that two heads are better than one. Well, two brands can be better than one, too. Brands are always looking to expand their audience, so it's wise to seek out brand partners who share an audience and work out some sort of collaboration.

4. Innovate the Innovators

Every vertical and industry - from tech to fashion and film - has thought leaders and influencers who set trends that then trickle down to the masses. Whether you're sending free samples or doing some personal outreach, it's worth the extra steps you take to get to these influencers, because they can move the needle for you.

Also read: The Top 5 IT Brands of 2012

5. Crowdsource

Crowds are pretty smart. While collaboration is a great way to create a win-win opportunity for brands, tapping the wisdom of the crowds is also important. Sometimes you need an outsider's perspective to encapsulate or translate your vision, and crowdsourcing helps that happen.

6. Don't Be Afraid of Templates

Templates have a bad rap - they can conjure up thoughts of the boring or generic. But today's templates are not only beautiful and inexpensive, they're also highly customizable.

While tech startups may find web development to be a piece of cake, that may not be the case for a restaurant or yoga studio. For these less web-savvy entrepreneurs, it makes sense to utilize a template service.

7. Be Elusive and Exclusive

Sometimes all it takes to get attention is to be stealthy. Pinterest exploded last winter and people clamored for invites to the members-only service, pining to see what the fuss was about. Shortly thereafter, the site hit 10 million users faster than any other site. Go figure.

Source: www.mashable.com