Steven – Page 17 – Altitude Branding

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Smart ways for start-ups to get rid of mistakes

Steven on August 10, 2021

One needs to identify what hinders him and his organization from succeeding and think of smart ways that can avoid such mistakes. In this post, we will study a few of the smart ways that can help startups from making mistakes.

The mistakes in business are inevitable but a few of the mistakes can lead to a downfall for the company. Sometimes it only takes one wrong move to destroy the hard work of years. Due to pandemics, many companies have filed for bankruptcy and hence it has become crucial to stay prepared. One cannot afford mistakes in the business. This time we will look into the smart ways that can avoid the mistakes.

The smart ways here stands for measurable, specific, relevant, and achievable and time-based ways that can be accepted by any organization. It is the outline to achieve the business goals and ways to reach them. Learning from the mistakes is one of the best terms and generating smart ways to avoid such mistakes is the best idea.

Stick to the plan

A lot of business people or startups tend to skip the major work of creating a plan for the business as they feel that they can go with the flow. The business plan indeed needs to have the flexibility to be changed with the growth and direction of the business unit but still, it is important to have a major plan ready from the beginning. The business plan includes the business goals and ways to achieve them. It works as the blueprint of the business for the employees and partners.

Even though the plan is flexible and keeps on changing with the circumstances and activities of a business, it is suggested to stick to the major aim and working plan to get successful. If the original plan keeps on changing again and again it becomes difficult for the employees and partners to understand it well. Lack of understanding plan can result in irrelevant work.

Setting better goals

While running a small startup or a basic structure, one needs to articulate the goals. One of the common mistakes made by entrepreneurs is not setting clear, specific and feasible goals. One can never settle with an idea of “making a profit” as a goal for the business unit. One needs to focus on the required activities and decide the goals accordingly to get successful. Failing to set goals and going without them can result in the downfall of the whole unit.

Asking for support

It becomes easy to reach the top and achieve the desired goals when you have people to support you. Many startup owners tend to believe that they are enough to succeed in the business, but it is not so. Every owner requires employees and a team effort to achieve success. Running a business unit is a complicated process and can result in getting overwhelmed. Hence, one must never hesitate to ask for support, assistance and mentorship. It is suggested to surround yourself with experts to learn business strategies.

Use of the latest technology

With the development in technology, the way of working in businesses have drastically changed. To adapt to the changes, you need to reach customers online. Traditional businesses fail as they cannot adapt to the digital era.

One needs to stay updated with the time and technology and take the advantage of the new tools out in the market. One must opt for creating a new website, modernizing the daily operations, building an online presence and much more as the benefits of technology.

Staying updated with market

Regardless of the products, it is more important for the businesses to have people knowing them and their products. To stay competitive in the industry, one need to edge over the other existing brands. The digital marketing help to broadcast the business assets to lure customers. Contrary to the belief, marketing is not at all expensive. One can simply use social media and its likes to promote the business. It is about being creative and putting efforts to make people talk about your business and its products only by using social media accounts.

Conclusion

There are a lot of factors that contribute to the success or failure of the business unit. The failure is majorly a result of combined wrong decisions and lack of planning. Whereas success can be a result of appropriate planning and measures to achieve the decided plan.

To prevent the business from getting failed, one must control how to react to the internal and external problems faced in future. Many startups fail as they are now aware of how to respond to such a crisis. We shared a few of the smart ways especially for the startups to get rid of the mistakes that lead them towards failure.

Author’s Bio

Jui Bhatia is a Software Analyst at Techimply, India. With the experience in technology-driven field, she has mastered her knowledge on How(s) and What(s) to be done for a business. Also, she’s keen to share her knowledge on a few technology-related topics with readers that can assist any kind of business.

Digital Branding

A Brief In-sight into Cyber Security Trends

Steven on August 10, 2021

Cyber-crime stories are making at the top of news headlines across various industries. Whether it is a start-up or an enterprise, all businesses at vulnerable to cyber-attacks at any point. These breaches are increasing at a fast-pace. From 2005-2021, there have been many data breaches that have affected millions of users. Cyber-attacks are the fastest growing crimes and they end up increasing costs for businesses. The only threat is that cyber-criminals are smarter and more sophisticated than before. A cyber-security testing company can help in overcoming vulnerabilities along with providing protection.

Businesses dedicate their investments for cyber-security

Cyber-criminals carry out attacks much more fiercely than ever before. According to different researchers, these numbers ought to increase with time. Even though companies are investing huge amounts in cyber-security compliance, there is no perfect strategy for businesses. Even huge businesses that have made huge investments in cyber-security are still vulnerable to cyber breaches. Similarly, the failure of businesses in dealing with cyber-security faces huge losses due to major breaches in their systems.

Companies keep cyber-security issues on top of their agenda

When businesses hire a cyber-security testing company, they expect protection from any cyber-attacks. Imagine if the top businesses are investing so much to improve their security, how it would be impacting the small businesses and startups. According to Wipro, an IT firm, 65% of organizations globally now track and report security regulatory compliance to ensure the data protection practices meet all the cyber-security guidelines. Additionally, 49% of C-level executives who participated in Deloitte’s Future of cyber survey 2019 bring up their cybersecurity issues on their agenda once a quarter. Whereas, 70% of CIOs report that these issues are discussed in their agenda on a quarterly basis.

Companies should avoid breaches to remain protected

All security researchers are vigilant to avoid such breaches. Companies that ensure they are prepared for an attack always stay ahead of time. It becomes important for companies to employ external experts to test both external and internal firewalls and assist internal compliance too. Businesses should also provide a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and key risk indicators that enable them to quickly asses the security within their organization. The board plays a vital role in recording and defining a company’s cyber defenses. Companies are also coming up with what the level of involvement is for the board with respect to cybersecurity.

The technological changes with present opportunities and pose threats for organizations. Since 5G mobile technology is growing, it will transform internet communication and also allow billions of devices to come online. 5G is more likely to be a hit for consumers and businesses. With cybersecurity being the main concern, organizations will have to restructure their strategies according to the present situation. Moreover, software testing companies can contribute to improving security checks and protect sensitive information. It can also help in reducing the number of cyber-attacks in the future.

Infographic created by Donnelley Financial Solutions, an ESG data management company

Digital Branding

How To Avoid Cliches When Branding Your Business

Steven on August 9, 2021

It’s effortless and stress-free to do what the masses and others in your industry have done regarding branding.

Going down the ‘blend in with the crowd’ route means your potential customers will clearly understand the purpose of business, as they’ve seen similar elsewhere.

But not only is that route unoriginal and unmemorable, but you’ve also become part of the generic content that gets thrown onto the internet daily.

When branding your business, it’s vital to remember that being different and unique is more important than being better. That’s why so many new startups will outsource their branding needs to a web development agency to ensure that their brand is unique to their business and caters to their ideal customer base without falling into the all-too-common cliches of branding.

Here are some branding cliches we say to avoid when branding your business.

Jargon

There’s nothing more off-putting for a potential customer than being bombarded with a dictionary’s worth of jargon and industry terminology that they’ve never heard of and have no care for.

Those who aren’t as familiar with the jargon will feel irritated and even isolated, meaning they’ll be less likely to make a purchase or return to your business. The use of too much jargon can be detrimental to your business when used in a way that adds no qualifying value to the services or products you provide. There is, of course, a need for industry terminology when it is distinguishable as either a USP, benefit or specific issue or problem that your brand can solve. For example, if you specialise in medical products, then you need to use the correct terminology.

Jargon becomes jargon when it inflates a brand, product or service into something unnecessarily uncomplicated.

The truth is that many people who don’t understand the subject they’re speaking about often use complicated jargon to hide behind. Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

So a true expert can describe/explain a topic or idea without jargon, which comforts your customers and is something you can capitalise on.

Give a coworker a quick review when you’ve finished a bit of content, whether an email newsletter or a blog post. Or better yet, send out a test run to people who aren’t part of your industry to see how they feel about the information. Another set of eyes is great for spotting things you may have missed or overlooked.

Those who don’t have access to the second pair of eyes take a break from writing and come back to it with a fresh mindset, then give it a read over to see if you’ve fallen into the jargon trap.

Consider your content from your audience’s perspective – does it read in a way that’s clear, consistent with regards to your tone of voice? Does it explain how you can solve their pain points without assuming they have prior knowledge of your service or product?

Offering the solution vs the actual solution

Who isn’t intrigued by a business that offers you the solution to your problems? However, promising to be the solution can be one of the worst marketing cliches ever – primarily if you can’t deliver.

The issue comes when using the term ‘solution’. It’s an intelligent way to attract customers but comes with the risk of falling short of this claim. This leads to negative feedback and a lack of social proof.

Instead of being vague and using the umbrella term ‘solution’ or ‘problem solver’, you should instead highlight the tangible, solid benefits and advantages that your business and brand have to offer.

Discuss the specific problems your target customers are dealing with, then clearly state how your business and product/service can help rectify them. Be explicit, straightforward and transparent, and your customers will appreciate your brand so much for it. That appreciation is shown through their loyalty to your brand.

You should back up any claims and promises you make on behalf of your company with evidence, data and customer reviews. If anything, it saves your putting your business at risk with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) with any false advertising and claims.

One-Stop-Shop

One of the most criminal cliche to avoid when branding your business is ‘one-stop shop’. Even though your business might genuinely be a shop that does everything, the phrase has become overused and overlooked.

The term means that customers ignore the content and creatives. Realistically, only a few companies can honestly claim that they provide everything, one of them being Amazon, which literally does everything.

This cliche is slightly redundant as it doesn’t offer much value to your customer’s experience. In recent times people have moved away from general shops that claim to do everything. Customers prefer niche-specific products/services to meet their needs.

There’s a demand for quality (that niche-specific company should provide) over quantity (that one-stop shop’s offer).

A famous quote states, “If you stand for everything, you stand for nothing.” Your business and brand will benefit from having a niche to perfect and focus on.

Ways to avoid the ‘one-stop shop’ temptation is to use phrasing and slogans that show off and emphasise the uniqueness of your products/services.

Conclusion

Cliches can be very useful and sometimes funny, but using too many, can result in uninspiring, boring and unoriginal advertising.

Fortunately, by concentrating on your marketing objectives and business ethos, you can brand your business in a unique and captivating way that will entice and directly target your customer base.

Personal Branding

How To Keep Track Of Your Expenses And Profits

Steven on August 8, 2021

A successful and profitable business ensures timely tracking and accurate accounting of expenses. Cost-saving measures and proactive approaches yield good profit. Scrutiny of monthly expenditures and profits is the essential element of adequately managing your business.

A standard bookkeeping practice is tracking business expenditures. Salaries, utilities, commissions, advertising are a few examples of business expenses that require diligent accounting. Attention to detail in profit and loss performance ensures a healthy and thriving business. It pays to make it a habit to track expenses and profits.

The process can be less complex with the appropriate tools. Tracking your business allows you to take a closer look at spending that leads to increased profitability. Below are steps on tracking expenses and profits to financial literacy.

Open business financial accounts

Designate financial accounts solely for business. In this way, the personal expense does not meddle with the business-related.

Open a business checking account, savings account, and business credit card to take care of bills and purchases. Take advantage of cash backs and rewards by placing purchases on credit cards, partner with the best business credit cards to reap maximum benefit.

It is best practice to use credit and debit card transactions for your business purchase. A digital footprint is better with the card as a mode of payment. Cash transactions are volatile, difficult to track, and inconvenient to record.

Proper documentation

Proper storage of paper and digital receipts effectively tracks expenses and profits. Envelopes, file folders, and binders are tools that can assist in expense filing. Also, pay attention to the business calendar documentation attachment on receipts.

Some applications store receipts digitally to track profit, such as the Shopify profit tracker. This app lists and tracks all expenses in one place and shows the business’ profit in one go.

Profit and loss spreadsheet

For small businesses and start-ups, spreadsheets can record income and expenses and manually generate a profit and loss report for your business. In setting up an accounting system for your business, there are two options. Cash accounting records transactions as they occur. Therefore, income and payment recording are real-time when it is made and received. A more in-depth approach is accrual accounting. It is beneficial for growing businesses to apply this method.

A profit and loss spreadsheet reflects the financial performance of your business. In this way, an owner can assess and evaluate spending to improve the quality of profitability.

Cloud accounting software

Recently, more business owners are transitioning to cloud accounting software due to the accessibility of their business accounting data on their phones. This software offers mobility to users. They can easily manage the business finances on their mobile phones through digital transactions. The software carries out income and expense transactions. It also operates through a cloud; in this way, records and documentations are more secured.

In the digital age, managing finances is a walk-in-the-park process. Resource tools are available, and some are free of charge and customizable to your business needs. It is imperative to track expenses and profit because it depicts the overall financial health of your brand.

Digital Branding

Common Connection Issues and Their Solutions

Steven on July 31, 2021

Internet connection is an essential commodity and people who use the internet for work or use it for something they love do not mind spending extra bucks on it. However, some ISPs charge hefty amounts and increase the prices too but the services usually face common connectivity-related issues, which makes the customers question their choice.

The price we pay for an internet connection is directly proportional to the kind of experience we would want to have, and some of us take a lot of time to carefully research internet availability by address in order to find the very best provider for our home possible. The uninterrupted and lag-free internet service makes the time spent online for work or killing time worth every penny.

Nevertheless, what if everybody else and other users of the same ISP has an uninterrupted experience, and you are the one facing issues? Let’s find out what could be done to improve your online experience better in the further read:

1. Check Your Connection

If you find any issue when using the internet, the first thing you need is to check is the connection. Sometimes we see that one of our devices is not working with the internet connection. In this situation, you need to check if the internet is working on other connected devices. If yes, then check your internet connection; test the speed online and change the location of the device or router to see what is causing the issue. If everything is connected properly, go for the diagnostic check on your PC to start troubleshooting. This solution is for Wi-Fi users.

If you were looking for ISP suggestions, we would recommend you check CenturyLink reviews if that is serviceable in your area. CenturyLink offers the fastest speed of internet because it has fiber or DSL services. If you use an Ethernet internet, make sure that your connection is properly getting the internet signals. Try removing and reconnecting the wire into your pc or other connected devices.

2. Check Your Power Supply

Whenever we face a connection problem, the power supply is the issue most of the time. Unfortunately, most of us do not even realize it at the beginning. We try everything, and in the end, we quit and call customer support for rescue. After doing some serious damage, we pay attention to check if the power supply is off from the internet router’s end. Thus, make sure to check your power supply before checking other devices and the connectivity of the internet.

3. Check Your Router

As mentioned in the previous point, make sure that your router is connected to the power supply. Unplug and plug the main wire if the router is not working with the power on as well. Every router has some indicator or lights on it that determines its connectivity. If you see those lights working, your router is connected properly. Every router has different LED lights. These lights vary from red, green, or orange. In case if you see a red light blinking, it means there is a problem with your Wi-Fi router.

4. Restart Your System

If you still face the issue, try restarting your system. Start with the router. Unplug and plug its main wire. Now, restart your computer system or the device that is causing the issue and check if the connection is now working.

5. Miscellaneous Common Issues

Most of us use an old router for using the internet. Old Wi-Fi routers are slow and will not give you the optimal internet-using experience. It is the age where everyone regardless of his or her age uses the internet. Thus, many users are usually sharing the same internet bandwidth simultaneously. Whether in the same house or neighborhood, the bandwidth of cable internet is shared fundamentally. Using the latest routers will enable it to catch more bandwidth, resulting in high internet speed and optimum performance.

Conclusive Notes

We have shared some commonly overlooked reasons why internet connections have issues with some tested solutions. However, if you are constantly facing lag issues, the issue might be with your system. Yes, most of us think that the issue is with our Internet Service Provider. In this scenario, you have to check your home’s system before contacting your ISP. Start the troubleshooting process on your system. If you still face the same issue, the problem could be from your ISP’s end.

Digital Branding

5 Ways to Strengthen Employee Engagement in the New Remote Work Environment

Steven on July 27, 2021

It seems that the pandemic has forced many companies to rethink how they handle their workforce, so it might be time to throw out the old rulebook of engagement – if it has actually ever worked. We already know that engagement rates among employees are staggeringly low across multiple industries. Add this health crisis into the mix, and people are hardly going to feel at ease and focused on their work with all the bad news popping up at every turn.

Since companies have had to switch to remote work and send their teams home, the challenge to retain, let alone increase engagement has doubled. To help you cope with these new setbacks, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most effective ways to boost engagement in your new remote teams. Use the listed ideas to empower your organization, to make the most of your work hours, and of course, to remind people why they love working under your wing to begin with.

Weekly virtual team building

We won’t be able to enjoy events in actual, physical spaces for a good, long while. Knowing that, you cannot allow your teams to grow apart simply because they don’t have that daily watercooler chat or an opportunity to share a lunch in the common room.

That is why you need to organize weekly meetings that will serve as your organization’s team-building opportunity. Choose themes and topics that your employees enjoy, such as happy hour at home, playing online games, or organizing a trivia night, or even watch a movie together on Netflix. Find activities you all enjoy, and you can expect your employees to feel more motivated and thus much more engaged.

Of course, they’ll need ADSL or even high-end fiber internet to ensure high-quality connection; and with possibly multiple household members working remotely, access to the right device may not be guaranteed at all times. So make sure to take into account access to a stable internet connection when scheduling these events.

Regular feedback exchanges

Every part of your business depends on the performance of all others. Your customer support teams can only do their jobs if the marketing team gives them the right data and the salespeople bring in quality leads. Then again, your own ability to lead an organization is far from perfect, and recognizing that you have room for improvement makes you a better leader.

Spotting opportunities and using them even remotely will bring your teams closer. Much like you organize those weekly meetings to assign work and ask if anyone needs help, you should set up regular feedback sessions that go both ways. Even team-wide brainstorming sessions on how to improve remote collaboration and your business can make your remote employees feel more valued and heard, so keep that as an option, too.

Smarter time management

Managing your time and schedule for multiple teams is a breeze when everyone is on site and available. Once you start working remotely, setting up schedules when you have shifts in your organization can become an issue, especially for your customer support teams and your sales department working with different time zones.

The simplest way to create your employee roster while working remotely is to use software that provides visibility for everyone in your organization. In turn, that means everyone can see when people are expected to log on, when they have meetings and shouldn’t be disturbed, and when someone is available to provide help and guidance. Enabling transparency for your remote teams will improve their communication for everyday tasks, but also for long-term planning.

Use PM tools to your advantage

Technology has been instrumental in helping remote teams connect and engage. Among many solutions at your disposal, it seems that classic project management tools are the most promising in terms of ensuring greater organizational effectiveness and overall engagement from teams.

Real-time collaboration makes creative exchanges much easier for all your teams.
Having clear milestones, KPIs, and goals outlined helps provide structure to their remote work.
Live chat provides a safe space for non-business interactions as well as project-related communication, both of which can help strengthen the bonds in your teams.
Time-tracking and reporting helps give your teams a perspective and potential solutions when they come across issues.
They can use PM tools on the go with their phones and tablets, making it easier to adjust their workload to their family schedule.

Invest in your team’s wellbeing

It’s not as if engagement is your issue only up to the moment the clock strikes five and your employees sign out of their project management accounts and go back to their families. If they have trouble sleeping due to all the stress, if they haven’t still adapted to remote work because they have toddlers, or if they forget to hydrate – engagement will suffer.

Take your time to encourage your teams to invest in their wellbeing and happiness outside the office. Check in every once in a while, see what they are up to and if they have a hobby or a workout system they enjoy. Their overall quality of life greatly impacts their ability to be focused and engaged at work, and it’s up to you to encourage work-life balance and help them set boundaries when they work remotely.

All qualities of your organization and your culture work together to deliver the results you need and achieve the goals you desire. In a sense, productivity cannot improve without engagement, much like engagement cannot improve without a culture based on the right values, and accountability cannot exist without some kind of supervision and feedback. As intricate as it is to be a leader in this day and age and with a remote workforce, you can create an engagement strategy to elevate your business effectiveness and to make your teams happy.

Infographic created by Insperity, an employee benefits outsourcing company

Digital Branding

Multi-vendor store: What it is and the reason to build it right away?

Steven on July 13, 2021

No single-vendor or eCommerce store can’t compete with a Multi-vendor store as it provides extensive benefits to both the sellers and owners. These multi-vendor marketplaces have been the thing that changes the whole way the eCommerce sector operates.

Multi-vendor stores gained popularity in a short span of time, with much visibility and sales growth. This becomes advantageous if business seekers or existing business owners develop a multi-vendor marketplace platform like Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, Etsy, etc., or can create a multi-vendor marketplace website to sell niche products or services under broad store categories such as electronics, groceries, furniture, home needs, etc.

As more and more online merchants or vendors want to scale their businesses, they look for marketplace platforms to sell their products and services. So one thing is proven here, the business opportunities and possibilities with multi-vendor marketplace software are nearly endless.

Hence, building an online multi-vendor store would definitely be a wise choice if you’re looking to scale and expand your eCommerce business.

Why create a multi-vendor store?

As we mentioned previously, the opportunities with the multi-vendor stores are endless, similar reasons to develop a multi-vendor marketplace store. These stores ease the way of onboarding vendors into the platform with a few step procedures. You might think having multiple vendors might stress you in vendor management, but the thing is entirely different here. Such multi-sellers in your multi-vendor platform actually improve the website traffic and importantly reduce vendor and store management time.

Being an admin of the multi-vendor store, you don’t need to keep a huge inventory that stresses you out and collapses your steady business process. Most importantly, it opens a new source of income by charging vendors a fee for every successful transaction made on a multi-vendor store platform without any overhead hassle.

Components of multi-vendor store platform

Like huge machinery, the multi-vendor store has a wide range of components and ways to handle it. If you compare a real machine with the multi-vendor platform, each component represents a part of the machine. In order to work well, each part has to work at the right pace, even if one part misses out in the place where it has to be, there isn’t a proper outcome.

For instance, if inventory is your top priority, and you’re giving much attention towards it but not on every other component like shipping, then your store won’t have the sales that expect to drive out from it.

Hence, it is important to know and manage all the components of a multi-vendor store to keep balance in managing the whole store.

Take a moment to overview the various components of the multi-vendor platform,

Managing Inventory
Charging Seller Fees
Managing Orders
Shipping Orders
Paying Vendors
Sales Reports
Branding the Marketplace

Top compelling reasons to go with Multi-vendor store

Pull and convert your first-time buyers into regular buyers

Every website, importantly the eCommerce, looks good if it is designed well, and that is what every customer seeks from a multi-vendor store. Such design aspects of the store will be more useful to attract the audience into the store and there would be a possibility to turn them into regular buyers. Because the storefront of the multi-vendor store is the brand face of the business that seeks engaging customers.

Multiple brands under a single roof

A multi-vendor store is primarily known as the house of multiple brands under a single storefront. Ultimately, it is very easy to manage those brand products efficiently with each sub-store. The multi-vendor store comes with the best setup functions that enable companies to operate with multiple brands, create an individual store for each brand and sell, earn revenue while carrying out every activity such as listing, selling, managing under one roof. Such companies with multiple brands can make a good profit by leveraging the multi-vendor store approach.

Huge gain with absolute customizations

Setting up a multi-vendor eCommerce means getting ahead with ultimate customization. So the prime motive to have a multi-store is to create a separate store for each user for better convenience and business management. Such an advantage comes to hand if the whole setup is fully customizable, which ensures maximum ROI. Multi-vendor marketplace solutions are flexible enough to suit and fit into your business needs and functionalities. Hence, such flexibility in the platform enables you to customize the store’s products, prices, information, themes, shipping, checkouts, and more.

Boost in sales with mobile commerce

Several studies conclude that above 81% of the eCommerce sales are coming from mobile devices. Mobile devices have become an integral part of online shopping, with over 85% of online orders overtaking the desktops, tablets, and other devices cumulatively. Some even consider targeting mobile phone users to boost eCommerce sales as part of their eCommerce marketing strategies. Along with the eCommerce mobile app, advanced features like push notifications, in-app purchase ads, personalized recommendations pushes mobile commerce to stand out from other forms of online purchase.

Much of the marketing and promotional options

Apart from generic marketing and promotional tools, the multi-vendor store comes with eCommerce marketing features for effective target marketing based on the likes, dislikes, browsing history, and other purchase activities. If you own multiple stores, so you need different marketing strategies for each store, it is where the multi-vendor store solution comes into play to match your eCommerce business strategies and options such as SMS, mobile push notification, email, chatbots to bring out maximum ROI.

Wrapping up

Managing a multi-vendor store is a lot easier than setting up, managing, and selling with a single vendor. This is why a multi-vendor marketplace is the best option to choose if you want to enter the eCommerce business to explore amazing business opportunities.

Tags: Multi-vendor, multi-vendor marketplace, ecommerce marketplace, multi-vendor platform

Digital Branding

Why Should Your Brand Story Be Part Of Your Marketing Strategy?

Steven on July 12, 2021

In this fast-moving digital world, developing connections is easy. However, maintaining loyalty for the long term is a tedious task to serve. Maintaining a loyal customer base has become a Herculean task with the high rise of competitors for brands.

The changes in marketing strategies are proportional to the customer base. Today it is not just about promoting the brand, but it is beyond the physical virtues. Marketing is leveling the definition to a more personal connection for the long term.

Emotions are always a strong suit of connection. Strategically implementing emotions through experience or story to a brand brings about differences in reducing the influence to bring a shift. Now let us see what a brand story is and how it is essential in the marketing strategy.

What is a brand story?

A brand story is a narrative strategy that speaks about the values and virtues of the brand. It’s not just about the history of the brand. Moreover, it’s about how and why the brand was established, the guiding principles, and how it would like to reflect in the future.

Storytelling has been an age-old practice that stirs creativity and creates ideas in minds. The act of storytelling is a powerful tool that helps to bring emotional values to concepts and experiences.

Through brand storytelling, the brand conveys its thoughts and shares its values with the customers. It’s about understanding the outlook of the brand and what it stands for. Brand storytelling is not about selling products and services directly. It’s about establishing connections through long-lasting impressions.

Significance in marketing

Brand storytelling is a marketing strategy that is followed by almost all brands today. In this digital era, there are certain limitations to online advertising. The regular practices of personalized emails and sales reminders are now the least effective. They occupy the junk mail fraction with a large number of brands engaging in the same.

An effective resonation of emotions is missing in these forms. With the advancement in technology, customers have a significant realization that it is all automatically generated with mere personal consideration.

A more projective or experienced form of marketing is Storybrand. Rather than showing according to the needs, it speaks about what the brand stands for. A communicative form rather than an announcement where the customer connects to the ideas. Embarking the virtues of origin, the journey through loss and gains, without hiding anything. This method creates a visual image of the brand in customers’ minds, and the emotional sentiments of the brand are consumed.

Establishing a unique identity in the market is an important part. The uniqueness should be conveyed not only through the visual portrayal of ideas but also through values too. Every brand has a different journey of its establishment; sharing personal experiences brings out these values.

How to portray a brand story

Using a set of ornate words would not suffice the purpose of the brand story; content marketing is also important. Here are some factors to consider while portraying the brand story

Understanding the mission and vision

The brand should have a clear idea of its missions and should be able to convey them to the customers. It is about what the mission is, and it’s about how well the mission is related to the brand’s virtues.

The unique understanding and actions taken by the brand will help build its reputation to follow. Moreover, each step taken by the brand for its development is the unique event of the brand story. This helps in defining the visions too. The brand story helps to bring life to the visions of the brand, communicating a better idea.

Connecting with Customer

Not any story would serve the purpose of the brand story. It should connect with the customers. Understanding the customer base is an essential factor. Their values and emotions are of great worth. The brand story should communicate with the customers and help them feel more special and wanted.

Through a transparent brand story, the customers develop more trust for the brand. When the brand shows both negative and positive aspects, it positively impacts customers, showing that the brand works through constant improvements. Linking personal experiences with the brand story helps customers connect better. This brings a sense of inspiration and connection to the brand through motivation.

Choosing the right medium

Communicating the brand story through the right medium is an essential part. The brand story can be showcased through visuals, animation, blogs, voice narration etc. This should solely be dependent on how the brand sets its identity in the market.

Suppose the online presence of the brand is more active than offline. Then the online mode should be preferred. Even in the online mode, too, the essence of the brand story should not be lost in the process of marketing. Choose something that fits the brand’s identity and is most effective. Staying with the trend is important but choose the right platform that best suits you.

Creating excitement and curiosity

The brand story should bring about excitement and curiosity to the customers. Through sharing and understanding the brand, customers should be engaged to explore more. The essence of curiosity is important, and this helps in attracting more customers.

The way of storytelling should ignite the urge to look through the brand and experience the conveyed feeling. A brand story is not a one-time act of communication. It should be a constant relation of surprises and fun. This can only be maintained through developing a continuous story through some curiosity to leave.

Conclusion

A brand story is a foundation of building trust in the customers. Laying facts and numbers to convince an idea or concept is no more effective in modern marketing concepts. The right idea conveyed through the right emotions can only bring the best gain in the market.

It’s not about making a story. It’s all about telling the life of the brand, the struggles of its birth, the hardships of existence. Humans are all about sharing and caring. Sharing a good story creates a deep impact. This very essence lies in the brand story.

Digital Branding

How Has COVID Impacted Customer Service?

Steven on July 11, 2021

We’ve all heard the stories — on the news, from friends, on social media. With shops reopening, there are accounts everywhere of overworked, exhausted employees, irate customers, and customer service experiences that might range from exemplary to nonexistent. There’s no doubt COVID has changed the way we look at customer service — from the perspective of public health as well as courtesy and the social contract. Here are some of the ways the pandemic has changed things… sometimes for the better.

How Customer Behavior Changed in 2020

In a recent survey, almost 54% of respondents said they’ve noticed considerable behavioral changes from customers since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

One of the most noticeable changes in customer behavior: where customers went. With COVID shutting down travel and tourism, there was (and is) a considerable rise in demand for things like online shopping (especially groceries), healthcare, and even cybersecurity. This has led in turn to ticket backlogs, slower service, and an increased volume of customers seeking help via phone or online.

The increased volume of customer service calls changed in other ways as well. Peak customer service hours shifted to earlier in the day, almost entirely due to the increased number of people working from home. With the greater flexibility and freedom that comes with telecommuting, customer service is no longer restricted to after 5 pm.

Finally, the pandemic made customers much more comfortable with ordering, requesting, and paying for things online, out of safety concerns as well as convenience.

How Did Business Respond?

In the wake of the changes wrought by the pandemic, companies have had to change the way they do business — not only in terms of stepping up their customer service game to deal with increased demand, but also account for seismic shifts in how work gets done.

Many companies have seen a big shift in customer service demands, which means a higher volume of help tickets and businesses scrambling to keep up — and keep customers happy. This has led to the widespread adoption of chatbots to take some of the burden off living employees. The good news is, other strategies for dealing with the pandemic, like streamlined workflows and omni-channel support, has made response time faster than pre-COVID levels.

One of the other noticeable trends is the aforementioned shift toward working from home — in-person meetings become Zoom meetings (or emails), and teams must learn to rely on cloud-based solutions like document sharing, collaboration tools, and shared access to data to keep things running.

Digital Apps in the Age of COVID

Speaking of the cloud: mobile apps! Out of necessity, reliance on mobile apps has skyrocketed in the midst of COVID. Goods and services formerly accessible in person have shifted to digital solutions in the wake of retail stores, restaurants, and other establishments closing up shop — some of them for good. This has led to an increased adoption of digital alternatives and a sharp rise in a wide array of apps:

Messaging apps like Signal, WhatsApp, and Telegram
Food delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash
Quick pay apps like CashApp and Venmo for easy transfer of funds between individuals
COVID-19 symptom trackers and information apps
Apps like Rave which allow shared streaming of media
Mood trackers and online counseling apps
Not to mention countless mobile games that can be played with friends from the comfort and safety of home — a surrogate for when hanging out in person is impossible.

What Customer Service Skills Became Most Important?

The massive shift in the way customer service is handled in a post-pandemic world has left some companies wondering: which customer service skills will be the most vital going forward into 2021? A software survey of 90,000 companies yielded some valuable insights on this question. According to the survey, the top five most valued customer service skills are:

Empathy
Collaboration
Product knowledge
Efficiency
Messaging skills

Are These Changes Permanent?

While many are hoping for a full-on “return to normal” once the pandemic is conquered, it’s likely that many of the changes brought about by COVID will remain long after it’s over — maybe even permanently.

An increased comfort with online shopping may seriously impact, or even end, some retailers. More workers operating from home might mean the shuttering of formerly busy office complexes. The travel and tourism industry could take years to recover. Businesses requiring an in-person presence are likely to focus far more on safety and cleanliness as perks to attract customers, as well as superior customer service and attention to detail.

This doesn’t have to mean gloom-and-doom for businesses. Those who choose to adapt to the new circumstances and continue to innovate — particularly when it comes to customer service — are likely to find themselves with considerable advantages going forward into the post-COVID world.

Digital Branding

4 Tried and Tested Ways to Promote Your Brand on Social Media

Steven on July 11, 2021

If you’re an entrepreneur, responding to your customers on social media platforms can build relationships that instantly boost your brand awareness. This effect gets even better if you constantly interact and engage with your online community.

Replying to your online community isn’t hard, especially when you have a flexible solution to deal with community engagement. Even the most successful brands with millions of followers are frequently investing in the technology required to sift through all the incoming mentions and messages on social media to have a comprehensive response for critical queries (questions related to brand tech, customer support queries, etc.)

If you are reading this, replying and interacting with your audience should be on the top of your priority list to bring your brand to the limelight. And this brings us to the vital question:

Why Is Winning Customers Through Social Media Platforms Difficult?

One of the most prominent challenges marketers face today is closing the expectation gap – a space between what customers expect you to deliver and what they get. The void results from a brand not adapting to traditional marketing techniques to satisfy modern expectations for personalization and speed through every channel.

However, delivering customized content at the right time is difficult. So is creating and delivering content at high speed, across multiple channels, without compromising the consumer experience.

The tactics mentioned below will help you modify your social media strategy to satisfy the demands of a modern consumer, so your brand can reach high levels of engagement and success.

1. Know Your Social Media Audience

As a brand that depends on social media marketing, you need to ask yourself this question: who is your audience repeatedly, and with whom you are trying to communicate?

This is because when you know your target audience, it is much easier for you to create personalized marketing campaigns that successfully capture your customers’ attention on social media platforms.

So, How Do You Match Your Tone and Voice With Your Following?

Matching the pitch of your content to drive maximum engagement demands a deep understanding of your customer base. Understanding your buyer’s characteristics is vital to create personalized campaigns for the right segments. This will help you get the right idea of which sections resonate with your content and how you can enhance customer experience with this approach. Similarly, understanding the kind of market that your audience sits in can influence your marketing strategy. For example, products or services that are at a higher price point often need to instil some trust in customers before people make the commitment to a purchase. One way to make this happen is to read Twicsy’s expert advice on TikTok followers and purchase a package which can increase your follower count, this can act as social proof for users who organically find your social media pages and make them perceive your business as more established, trustworthy and worth purchasing from.

2. Know the Location of Your Audience

Are you on one social media platform, and your audience is on another?

If you don’t know the location of your audience and on which channels they are active, driving engagement on social media platforms is going to be complicated. For instance, if your primary audience is engaged on Facebook, then there is no reason to run your campaigns on Twitter or any other social media platform because it won’t generate any traction for your brand.

For this reason, it is crucial to know where your company is mentioned and where your targeted audience spends their time. This will enable you to entertain your audience at the right time and the right place, with the right content.

Also, you must know where your customers are mentioning you as it will help you answer their every query regarding your products or services. Further, it can be your key to maintain a positive brand image. Despite everything, social media platforms are public channels where your new and old customers can see your actions and use them to find out more about your brand.

3. Engage With Customers Promptly and Frequently

In addition to monitoring the social media platforms where your brand is mentioned, it is essential to quickly engage and respond to your customers.

Your quick response is essential to customers, and it helps them believe that you care about their opinions. And on this particular front, many organizations are still unable to meet their customers’ expectations.

A quick response time not only refers to customer queries about your brand on social media – but it can also be generic comments or even positive reviews. Moreover, for a company that interacts with its followers regularly, its average response time is quick. However, regular engagement with your online audience isn’t the only way to keep your customers engaged through social media.

To elaborate on this topic, let’s talk about user-generated content(UGC). Every time a loyal customer shares a positive review about your brand on social media, it sends a direct message that they are satisfied with your products or services. So, why not earn new customers by sharing User Generated Content across your community and channels? Also, apart from sharing UGC, follow customers on social media platforms to build stronger relationships. It’s precisely like following a friend. When you follow a friend, you’d expect them to follow you back, correct?

4. Help Your Content Reach the Targeted Audience

An effective way to improve customer engagement on social media is to help your content reach your target audience – that is, make it more accessible to your audience.

Once your content becomes more accessible to your audience, it becomes easier for your audience to consume. The two ways of doing this are adding descriptions to your image-based content and captions to your video-based content.

Adding thoughtful descriptions to your images will give your customers a better understanding of the product or service you are sharing with your customers. The description will also improve your customer experience and interaction.

On the other hand, captions on your video-based content will give your customers the right idea of the content they will see in the video. Again, helping improve customer experience with minimal effort.

To Sum it Up

In today’s world, engaging customers on social media can be tricky since your customers are always on the go and exposed to different content, which makes winning their attention even more difficult.

However, it can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Knowing about your audience, replying to their queries, and making them familiar with your brand identity, can successfully help you establish a connection with your audience and encourage them to interact with your business.