Image by: Tleilaxus
By Michael Sterling

Researchers say it takes 28 days to make or break a habit, and I’m not just talking about biting your fingernails or whistling in the elevator. Mental associations are habitual thoughts created by marketers. The more a consumer sees a company’s brand, the more likely they are to remember it . This is why your image is the key to success.

A brand is merely a picture, but an image (in advertising) is a feeling. The feeling they associate with your brand is created by you! Repeating patterns over time will ultimately create a universal association with your company and open a plethora of business opportunities. The secret is adding all the right ingredients.

Create Your Own Opportunities

Depending on what kind of service you provide, you should allow more chances to be seen. Put yourself out there through the internet waves in places you are likely to be seen by your market consumers. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites are a great way of staying involved with your consumers, but what about generating more traffic?

Discover what your consumers are interested in the most. This is how you can use social media to your benefit, research what your customers’ interests are.

Don’t just depend on word of mouth to start based on your services alone. You may have the best product, staff, and customer service on the market, but who is going to know unless you physically put yourself in front of them? Youtube, Vimeo, Pod Casts, and Tagging are a great start to create a viral outreach. 

Here’s a tip: The most viewed/shared videos on YouTube are animals and comedy. Why not combine the two and squeeze your way into the ecosystem of viral videos? It can be cheap to make, plus it will cost you nothing to market. One click of a button from a consumer on their Facebook page can jump start an incredible brand association with your company.

Have Original Content

Interactive contests, exclusive videos, and exclusive interviews with added brand messaging are a great way to create your own unique content. With an original “type” of voice, you are more easily remembered. Nothing is worse than having a consumer remember something interesting that they saw and not be able to associate it with the correct company.

By having your own voice in the world, there is no change your customers will be able to misdirect you from competitors.

American Express Unstaged is an original program that live streams concerts, and allows exclusive access to artists before and after the concert. American Express’ logo is within the videos and streams across constantly, not to mention an entire market will be much more interested in the actual concert itself and will bring a lot of traffic. 

Their image has now become innovative. The feeling a consumer gets from American Express is different from that of Bank of America or Wells Fargo. It’s hip, they have celebrity spokespeople, and it all adds up to become a very original brand association, and all because of the content they supplied.

Be In Control

A brand image is solely relied on it’s reputation. But what makes it different is that your reputation is created, and doesn’t need to be proven. The psychology of advertising is one that is built on mental habits. The more they see your brand, the more it will become the truth. It’s all hypnosis in a sense. Control what people think of you. They will listen.

No one knows your company better than you. Reaching new customers in a busy business world can be difficult. Create something different. When consumers see something that sticks out, it is natural for them to pay attention. Use this to your advantage. Grab their attention, then keep it. Never let it go.