Basecamp’s books have built their reputation as industry leaders and experts. Source: Basecamp
The books both address the same pain points as Basecamp’s product, so they’re not just showing their SaaS expertise, but their business thought leadership in general. These books have helped the Basecamp team develop their personal brand and be recognized as authoritative experts in their field. Today, they are regularly invited to speak at conferences and events to share their expertise in a different setting.
Your company has a wealth of internal expertise, so look for opportunities to leverage and demonstrate that. Every person on your team has the potential to become an expert in your industry by representing the company at events and publishing articles or videos. Look for opportunities to show off your team and their expertise so that your customers connect with the people who are building your business – not just the brand name.
10. Provide a Consistent Brand Experience
Brand consistency means that customers know what to expect when interacting with your business – reading content, getting emails, making a purchase, or contacting support. A consistent experience builds trust as you’re seen as reliable, and there are no (bad) surprises waiting for customers. Over time, this can differentiate your brand as returning customers appreciate the consistent brand experience you provide compared with those of less reliable competitors.
For example, McDonald’s excels at providing consistent food at all its locations and creating a consistent dining experience for its customers. You can walk into a McDonald’s anywhere in the country, and it will look and feel the same. If you order a Big Mac, you always know what you’re going to get. Customers know what items will be on the menu, how to order, and even how to clear their trays when they’re done.
To provide a consistent brand experience, you need to set a baseline standard across all areas of the business that customers will interact with, such as:
- Visual identity
- Brand voice and tone
- Product quality
- Sales process
- Support response time
Then, give employees tools to help them meet those standards consistently. For example, a brand management platform helps companies create a consistent visual identity and brand voice by giving employees from all departments the ability to find, use, and create branded assets and materials. It gives them guidelines and templates so they can confidently create on-brand designs and materials without compromising your brand consistency.
Brand differentiation offers real business benefits that can impact your bottom line. You’ll see lower customer acquisition costs because more people are aware of your brand, thanks to stand-out marketing and recommendations from friends and family. You’ll benefit from improved customer retention as your current customers feel loyal to your brand and would prefer to use your products over those of a competitor. And you’ll see stronger brand recognition in the wider market.
So, the sooner you start investing in your brand and differentiating from your competitors, the better. Learn more about how brand differentiation can be your biggest competitive advantage. Download our guide now.
