Branding is a must. In a world as connected as ours, word spreads fast and consumers expect a lot. According to a study by Salesforce, 62% of customers claim to have stopped buying from a company whose values didn’t align with theirs. Here are a few tips to help get an edge on the competition and be a brand our community is proud to support. Emphasize sustainability, diversity and inclusion Recent trends have shown that consumers are better informed and more passionate about a brand’s social responsibilities than ever before, and sustainability, diversity and inclusion are top of mind. The Global Consumer Confidence Survey conducted by The Conference Board and Nielsen found that 81% of consumers expect companies to have a positive impact on the environment. In addition, 55% of shoppers claimed that they would switch brands if a retailer does not take responsibility for its own negative inclusion and diversity incidents. Being transparent about where you stand on these values can greatly impact your brand’s image. Improve the digital experience We all spend time online (maybe even a little too much). We need to make an excellent first impression in the digital space, the same way we want to in person. Be sure to invest in a responsive website. After all, it’s your digital storefront. Remember, it only takes about 50 milliseconds for visitors to form an opinion about your website and determine whether they like it or not, and whether they’ll stay or leave. Produce content that is useful and informative. Also, make sure the user experience for prospective buyers is optimal on your webpages. For example, you can create a personalized experience and put yourself in their shoes to assess how simple it is to locate solutions on your website and find answers to their questions. You can also optimize using an FAQ page, a chat bot, and keeping customer service emails and phone numbers visible throughout the website. Build your presence Now that you have a top-notch digital experience and your brand is advocating for positive change, it’s important to make sure people know what awesome work you offer. With the overflow of information pushed in front of consumers, you have to carve out a spot; an excellent way to do this is with an omnichannel approach. Using three or more marketing channels can increase your purchase rate by 287% compared to companies using a single channel. Utilizing an omnichannel approach will help you to broaden your reach, gain more visibility, and become a brand that is recognizable, respected, and effective in its mission. If your business hasn’t already, it’s time for you to leverage these important avenues. As brands, we also have the responsibility to take advantage of our position and be an advocate for good. It’s not always easy, but we’re with you. Reach out to Pop Squid MKG and we can work together as brands that effect positive social change in our communities.