Successful brands have these common traits

What is the secret to success? When it comes to business, it’s really hard to settle on one answer. Business success can’t be defined by one metric but can be measured by many factors such as top-of-mind awareness, brand reputation, and ultimately, generated profit. There is no specific timeline to reach business success; a brand can be unknown today and successful tomorrow. Yet, overnight success in businesses is rare because there are definitely common traits among all successful brands. And I am about to unveil them to you👇

They have a compelling story to tell 🎆.

Do you remember the stories your mom, dad, or your family used to tell you before going to bed when you were a little kid? I am sure you still recall them perfectly, and if they were inspiring enough, they may have even influenced your professional and personal life.

And you know why? Because inspiring stories have the power to resonate with their audience; they influence and impact. When you recognize yourself in the hero, or when you feel a deep emotional connection, you are more likely to remember the story and use it as motivation to drive your future actions.

This works the same with the stories brands tell 💥.

They can be so powerful and resonate with your values, desires, and inspirations that you instantly engage with them and get attached to them.

In his book "Building a StoryBrand," Donald Miller talks about "The StoryBrand Framework", a useful tool he created to help brands come up with the perfect story for their brand and clarify their message. Because clarity is key. You can use his 7-step framework, the basic elements of a story, to clarify your message as a brand:

→ A customer has a problem and meets a guide, who gives them a plan and calls them to action that helps them avoid failure and ends in a success.

• Step 1: Character/hero of your story is your buyer/customer.
• Step 2: Define your hero’s problems.
• Step 3: Present yourself as the guide, outline your mission as a brand.
• Step 4: Give your hero a plan, a solution to solve his problem.
• Step 5: Clearly entice him to take a specific action.
• Step 6: Show him how your solution to his problem will end up in success.
• Step 7: And how your solutions will help him avoid failure.

You can learn more about The StoryBrand Framework here.

They perfectly know their audience 🎯

Successful brands know their buyers perfectly. They understand their problems, needs, and challenges deeply. This knowledge helps them come up with the right solution, highlighting the right benefits tailored to specific problems.

By understanding their buyer, brands create the perfect content to educate about their solutions, inform and convert their audience from simple leads to ideal buyers.

To perfectly understand your audience, you have to answer simple questions 👇

• Who is my ideal customer? Demographics, status, interests…
• What are their needs and pain points?
• What challenges do they face that my product/ service can solve ?
• How do they search for my solution ? What keywords do they use?
• How can I connect with my ideal buyer ? Over which themes ? Through which specific content?
• How can I genuinely help them?

Answering these questions will help you build your buyer’s persona profile and craft messaging and content that not only resonates with them but also motivates them to purchase from you.

When you understand your customer and their needs, convincing them becomes easier, and that’s precisely what powerful brands know very well.

They experiment : test and learn💡🎓

In marketing, it's essential to acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers to every question you may have. And not having the answers drives experimentation. The fundamental rule you should always stand by is continuous experimentation. Testing and learning should be your guiding mantra in business📈. 

Successful brands keep experimenting with different tactics and leverage different assets to drive better results. It doesn’t guarantee they always succeed; however, they eliminate what doesn’t work, smoothing their path to success. As a brand, you must experiment intelligently, considering your business, budget, and resources. Here are some variables you can experiment with to enhance and scale your business:

→ Channels: they are various platforms you can use to take your business to the next level. Beyond Instagram, consider exploring Youtube, Linkedin, Threads or TikTok as core channels to achieve your objectives. The most important thing is to have a clear strategy and a plan of what you want to achieve and how to achieve it.

→ Advertising: If you already advertise online, consider exploring other sources for growth with different platforms or types of advertising. For instance, if you use search ads, try display ads, or if you use social ads, try other platforms such as LinkedIn or YouTube. Recently, I read a feedback from a digital marketer in a SAAS B2B business who was experimenting with Spotify ads. So, why not explore new platforms if you have the right strategy and budget in place?

→ Influencer partnerships: Influencer marketing is now a crucial part of successful marketing strategies. You can explore this strategy to boost your business, even if you're small. Identify influencers or businesses you can partner with to fuel your company's growth. They don’t necessarily need to have a massive following, but they should align with your brand's mission and values.

→ Assets: Consider creating a hub of resources for your buyers. This platform can feature a variety of resources to help them effectively utilize your solution and solve their problems. You can include items such as ebooks, templates, videos, blog articles, and more. Many brands are adopting this approach to create a comprehensive ecosystem for their customers, providing everything they may need in one place.

Long story short ⚡

→ Storytelling enables brands to authentically connect with their audience on a genuine level.

→ Authentic and relatable stories are inherently more engaging and impactful.

→ By understanding their buyers' needs, problems, and challenges, brands can offer tailored solutions.

→ Experimentation with various variables enables brands to identify what works and what doesn't, allowing them to iterate on successful strategies.

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