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There is a case to be made that, even though it is easier than ever to start a business, it is harder to make one work consistently than ever before. For all that the internet and a more connected world has made it possible to find a niche, source supplies and market a product or service, we are also living in a world where competition and the speed of movement make it easy to fall flat – and when businesses fail, these days they tend to fail fast.

If you want your business to stick around, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that people will return to businesses that stick in their mind (for the right reasons, anyway!). While it remains important for a business to do what it does well, it’s perhaps just as important now to have a personality. This way, you will be on someone’s mind when they need to use a business in your field. So how does a brand develop a personality? The following tips are a good place to start…

Find a word or phrase that defines you

As much as we have been taught to consider pigeonholing a negative thing, finding your brand’s essence often comes down to the basics. Reductive as it may seem from the outside, you can even probably attribute a single word or phrase to some of the biggest names in modern business. What word, or combination of words, do you want people to associate with your business? Keep that in mind, and make sure your marketing reflects it.

Establish a “look”

So much in marketing comes down to the “look” of a thing. For example, there is a certain drinks company that is so widely-recognized for its red and white livery that a (probably apocryphal according to snopes.com) story credits them with being the ones who created Santa’s red outfit. Finding a look for your own business is an excellent way of planting a seed in people’s minds. Picking the right combination of colors can even result in people thinking of your business whenever they see that combination elsewhere.

Invent and use a mascot

Smart branding can be as simple as coming up with a cute or memorable character people will associate with your business. If you do this smartly enough, it can take your company to the next level. Collaborating with animators such as ZainiMedia.com, you can create memorable videos, while the right mascot can also make your social media channels feel more “personal” rather than just another corporate corner of the internet.

Speaking of social media…

The average corporate social media account is rarely the type of account you would follow for any reason other than freebies and special offers – but if you have the time and inclination to tweet a few times a day, you can develop a cult following. People are more likely to engage with a social media account that behaves in a “human” way. It certainly makes your business more relatable, and more likely to stay in customers’ minds. Just remember to keep business and personal social media accounts separate; the history of ill-advised tweets from corporate accounts is long and embarrassing.

Developing a convincing brand personality is a good way of staying in the minds of potential customers – and the above tips will help you do the same for your business.