Launching & Building a Brand For Dummies

Create a strong brand DNA—and watch it grow These days, customers want to have a deeply felt connection to the brands behind the products they're purchasing, which means that if you're starting a business, a strong brand DNA has got to be part of your creative process from day one. And it needs to be more than just an abstract idea: to give your brand life—and a bigger chance of surviving against the competition—you need to have a standout launch strategy and a set plan for growing your brand in a noisy marketplace. In Launching & Building a Brand For Dummies, Amy Will—who launched her first business at just 24-years-old and has been the brains behind four strong and buzzworthy brands—covers everything from crafting a powerful brand identity and planning that all-important launch to being prepared to scale up as you begin to take off. She reveals crucial lessons from her personal experience in launching five companies, as well as detailing case studies from some of the strongest brands out there, accompanied by insights and advice from successful founders and branding experts. Stand out on social media Create viral campaigns Build on Customer Loyalty and LongevityDeal with the competition Whether you're thinking of starting a business or are already building up your market share, memorable brand identity will be the key to—and Launching & Building a Brand For Dummies one of the secrets of—your future standout success.

Introduction  1 Part 1: Getting Started with Branding  5 Chapter 1: Wrapping Your Brain around Branding 7 Chapter 2: Creating and Financing Your Brand  25 Chapter 3: Positioning and Defining Your Brand  43 Chapter 4: Clarifying Your Branding Goals  59 Chapter 5: Defining and Refining Your Customer Avatars  69 Part 2: Attending to Brand Fundamentals  81 Chapter 6: Creating a Brand Style Guide, Media Kit, and Templates 83 Chapter 7: Building a Branded Website, App, and Email Account  99 Chapter 8: Writing Copy That Supports Your Brand Messaging 125 Chapter 9: Building Strategic Partnerships 141 Chapter 10: Launching Your Brand  157 Part 3: Building a Strong Brand Presence  173 Chapter 11: Creating In-Person Experiences  175 Chapter 12: Blogging, Podcasting, and YouTubing  191 Chapter 13: Promoting Your Brand via Social Media  217 Chapter 14: Email Marketing 235 Chapter 15: Boosting Brand Awareness with Paid Advertising 251 Chapter 16: Building a Vibrant Community around Your Brand  267 Part 4: Feeding and Caring for Your Brand  279 Chapter 17: Scaling Your Brand Identity  281 Chapter 18: Building on Customer Loyalty and Longevity 293 Chapter 19: Dealing with Competition and Other Threats to Your Brand  309 Part 5: The Part of Tens  321 Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Make Your Marketing Campaigns Go Viral  323 Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Distinguish Your Brand from the Competition  331 Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Drive Customers to Your Website  341 Index  349