Yesterday, we spoke about a few of the ways your small business can weaken its brand—particularly by becoming watered down in an attempt to branch out into new areas. Rather than simply stating “Don’t do this,” it’s always good to take a look at some specific examples of what you should do if you want to strengthen your brand.

So consider the following if you are just now starting out in developing your brand. There is no absolute right path to take, but there are some guiding principles that are unequivocally true for everyone.

• Simply creating a logo and a snazzy tagline is not all that is required in creating a brand. It’s also about image and personality. Your brand’s image should reflect your own personality and the goals you want to achieve.
• Never aim to mimic another company. Your own business should be different and better than your competition. Offer something unique and make the intention of that offering the core of your business.
• Never be afraid to question yourself or to even make drastic changes to your approach based on current trends. By ignoring developing trends and shifting customer requests, you can very quickly loose traction in your market while competitors clamor ahead.
• Always strive to deliver more than the customer expects. Remember…it is your job to give them what they want. But by doing a little something extra and giving them more than what was promised, you create brand loyalty and a great mode of word-of-mouth advertisement. Remember…there is nothing wrong with being an overachiever unless that overachieving leads you into unfamiliar waters.
• Don’t wait for trends to develop and come to you. Try to be an innovator, testing new technologies and trying new things. Keeping your brand fresh can help you stay on the top of the platform while others scramble ahead, looking to you for inspirations and new ideas.

Perhaps most importantly, your brand image should stay clear and focused. There should never be any confusing about who you are or what you do. If you find yourself battling with these issues, you need to take a good hard look at your brand and fine a new approach to strengthen your brand.