Make Your Brand Unforgettable in 2022

“Whether you’re launching a new product, service, or company in the new year, consider ways that prospects will find, remember—and distinguish—your brand from all the lookalikes.”

By Julia Weikel, TrueName Domains

After two record-breaking years of new small business creation, 2022 is expected to continue the startup trend. According to a November 2021 survey by QuickBooks, 17 million U.S. employees want to start a business in 2022, and more than 5 million are projected to incorporate rather than remain as sole proprietors.

If you’re among the millions launching a new company this year (or a new product or service), you’ll likely focus a lot of time and money on promoting your company and building awareness among current and prospective clients.

What’s more, standing out from competitors in today’s digital era is challenging and requires branding and messaging that’s fresh, authentic, and to the point. It also requires persistence. For example, research from social media and branding firm Marketing Nutz found that it takes 6-7 brand impressions for someone to remember your brand at all, driving home the importance of optimizing your marketing campaign’s ability to  reach your target audience.

With all the cutting-edge tech and branding choices companies have at their fingertips, it can be overwhelming knowing which one to choose—and where to begin. There are so many ways brand creators and founders can reach prospective buyers in the digital age, from web banner ads to experiential media to 30-second commercials during the Super Bowl. However, before focusing on sending your message and how much you can afford, it’s essential to define your brand and ensure it conveys your company’s unique and authentic identity.

So, let’s explore ways you can establish your brand and position it for success.

Beyond the Logo: Building Your Brand

When you think of the term “brand,” a company logo is often one of the first things that comes to mind, along with brand name, colors, and website. But branding is more than these things; it’s also:

• How others perceive your business
• The connection you make with your target audience
• Your position among competitors

Industry-leading brands pay attention to these details and recognize how vital they are in a digital-first world where most niches are saturated and highly competitive.

To build your brand identity, it’s essential first to understand what a brand is and what it takes to create one. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as giving the business a name and plastering it on everything.

Building a brand starts with a brand strategy. A brand strategy is a comprehensive plan that focuses on the long-term development of your brand purpose, consistency, and emotional impact. It defines how you differentiate from the competition with a distinct identity. Brand strategies typically include specific goals, such as:

• Increasing awareness
• Building positive perception
• Fostering loyalty and advocacy

6 Branding Tips for Digital Marketing Success

1. Identify your brand’s purpose.Write out responses to key questions: Why are you offering this new product or service—or starting this new company? What problem are you solving? Outlininganswers ensures you not only understand your products and services, but you know the reasons behind why you are providing them. This exercise on brand purpose also works to develop your company’s mission, vision, values, and tagline.
2. Know your target audience. Who exactly is a fit for your products or services? What are their buying habits and lifestyles? Until you understand your ideal buyer, everything else you do to build your brand won’t advance your business goals.
3. Perform a competitor analysis. Unless you’ve invented something unique, other companies likely offer similar products and services. That said, aspects of your offerings should distinguish them from other offerings—what are they? Your distinction may have to do with your team’s expertise or specific processes associated with how your offering is implemented. It could even be your warranty or post-sale support that set you apart. This exercise will help you highlight the qualities and benefits of your digital marketing.
4. Create a consistent voice. How will you communicate with your target audience? Is your message fun and conversational, or is it formal and serious? How you communicate your brand is critical to how prospects get to know you, so make sure your voice is carefully crafted and consistent.
5. Choose your brand name and domain carefully. A good business name is essential to your business success and improving your business marketing. The best names are unique, memorable, and SEO-friendly. Keep in mind, too, that for your website, you’re not limited to the traditional top-level domain (TLD) naming schemes. For example, the domains rocket.chat, landingpage.fyi, and nocode.video are memorable, concise, and give prospective customers a good idea of what they’re about by combining a unique TLD name with the brand name.
6. Make every letter count. Many companies are moving towards industry-specific, short, and memorable descriptive domain extensions that can help define an authentic digital identity and positively impact SEO. For example, TrueName, a global leader in descriptive domains, says that millions of individuals and businesses across the globe—from personal brand builders (e.g., thelifecoach.expert) and startups (e.g., drink.haus) to Fortune 500s (e.g., ikea.today)—are using new TLD names for their websites. Additionally, 94% of Fortune 50 companies own and use multiple TrueName domains.

Closing Thoughts

Creating a memorable brand goes beyond selling products and services; it’s about developing a loyal customer base that not only buys your offerings but believes in them. To achieve this goal, it’s vital to keep things fresh, authentic, and succinct—before and after the dot (e.g., bebetter.team). Following these tips will help put your company on the right track to creating an unforgettable brand.

About | Julia Weikel

Julia Weikel is a branding and marketing domain industry insider with experience in Australia, China and the U.S. She shares brand-focused insights and intel about the democratization of internet real estate and opportunities available to entrepreneurs.