Five Ways To Personalize Your Brand (You May Have Overlooked)
Entrepreneurs know the value of branding throughout the lifespan of a business. It attunes the actions done by you and your employees to ensure customers receive a unique and worthwhile experience. It also allows the business to differentiate itself in the sea of competition.
A brand, though, is not just about a logo or some witty quip said to customers as they come through the door. The personalization of the experience is an element which builds memories of a valuable brand and it’s through this experience that customers will return time and time again all-the-while triumphing your brand to all whom will listen.
It’s easy to overlook these moments of personalization in branding because there is simply so much one must do during the growth of the business. Have you overlooked these ways to personalize the brand? It’s never too late to personalize …
Here are five different ways I’ve seen businesses personalize their brand which I believe can be easily replicated (and improved upon) to give your business a charming touch:
#1. Crowdsourced Input
Place control of future product/service endeavors into the hands of your community and customers. Lay’s recently did this by allowing their community to choose a new flavor through the use of a contest. Your company, too, could use user input to determine the look, feel, and marketing elements of your offer which incentivizes their interaction and feeling of value toward the company due to the personalized experience.
#2. Re-imagining the Box
An experience can be had when a customer receives their order. There is a moment of joy knowing their order has arrived and this is especially true when the box has a unique design and packaging. Create custom, branded packaging which can be personalized for your customers.
#3. Scientifically Timed Follow Ups
Omaha Steaks is a company which sells meats and other food items online. One of the most remarkable things they manage is to conduct a follow-up phone call at nearly the exact time you remember their brand since you’re running low on product. It’s likely they use CRM applications and customer data to find the “sweet spot” in their contact. You, too, can do this for personalization by leveraging your data and customer support to deliver timely follow up messages. Customers contacted at the perfect time will feel appreciative that they’re on the mind of the business employees and not another stat in the system.
#4. Get Out of the Chair
There are many instances where companies have gone above-and-beyond with customer service (see examples) which were actions where an associate physically interacted with a customer (or fan) despite having obstacles in the way (such as distance). Don’t become confined to your chair at the business. Be willing to get up and meet face-to-face if people are within a reasonable distance. This commitment to be personal will be worth its weight in gold when the person gets on social media and tells the World of their incredible experience.
#5. Customize the Service Support
Customer support is a recurring theme in this article and should be so due to the fact that it’s during these interactions, with the customer, that you and employees have the best chance to build rapport with the individual. To create a truly unique feedback channel you could consider developing a support system which is tailored to each and every individual. Within a user accessible section of your website could be an entire chat history with the customer along with other items such as video demonstrations how to fix their problems.
Having this support documented and personalized per individual will give them a real sense that you’re working to help their specific issue and in doing so your business will earn their trust.
Your turn. How would you create personalization in your business? What are some ways you feel others frequently overlook in this desire to create unique, unforgettable experiences?
