Building Your Brand On A Budget

Most network marketing companies realize that the strength of their brand can significantly impact the success of their company. To that end, some companies have mortgaged everything and bet their future on a single thirty-second Super Bowl ad at a hefty $2.3+ million a pop. Or maybe you’re on a strict, modest budget and can just squeak by with a $125,000, one-time print ad in the Wall Street Journal.

Whatever your budget–big or small–there are a number of inexpensive things you can do to build your brand, especially since it is not typically built with a single event, but is instead an ongoing process. I’ve listed four proven methods below:

1. Email Signature

Your email signature provides the capability to promote your brand to a captive audience for free. Instead of just signing the email, “Regards, Joe,” consider adding a signature block that includes your name, your company name, your contact information, and your tagline or slogan. No, you won’t need to type the information each time, as most email packages allow you to create a signature and have it automatically inserted with each email.

It is estimated that the average business person is sending and receiving 50+ email messages per day. Multiply that number by the number of employees in your company and now you have hundreds or thousands of branding messages going out every day to customers, prospects, vendors, and others. This is something that should be a company requirement.

2. Telephone Hold Time

Nobody likes to be on hold, but when that unfortunate event occurs, how about taking advantage of it? Briefly, and I emphasize, briefly, tell them one thing about your company–a new promotion, a new award you’ve just won, etc.–or simply thank them for their patience and emphasize your company name and tagline. These “On Hold” messages can be created inexpensively and can be good promoters of your brand.

3. Local Sponsorships

Local sponsorships are basically affiliations with local charities, sports teams, and events. They can be both inexpensive and beneficial. Do you get to give out a lot of information? No. Do you get to generate leads from such events? Usually not. But, what you do get is the ability to make your name and company personality visible to prospects so that when the opportunity to engage and talk about your business in detail comes, it won’t be the first time they’ve heard of you.

Local sponsorships are pretty easy to find. Simply look for banners and printed material with sponsors’ names included, and call to find out how you can participate.

4. Business Website

Business websites have become a part of our culture. Yet, the ability to brand your company on your website is often overlooked. Instead, companies want to jump straight to product and opportunity explanations. However, building your website to reflect your brand personality–who you are as a company–can be an easy yet powerful factor.

Remember, your brand isn’t your name, logo, tagline, or company colors. Your brand is the personality of your company, what you represent, and the emotion you can drive as part of the buying process. Successful brands? Think Nike, Volvo, McDonalds, and others. Build an image and personality that supports who you are as a company. And then, use multiple opportunities to build and reinforce that brand at every turn.