The age of the internet knows no borders. With the proper marketing, it’s easier than ever for brands to cross state lines. Once a pipe dream, coast-to-coast brand recognition is now in reach for any brand committed enough.
If you want customers in New York just as loyal as customers in LA, read up on these five strategies for building a national brand.
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Establish a business presence in a new U.S. city
The first step in building a national brand is to move your product into new cities, preferably in a different state. Don’t pack your bags just yet, though. To save time and money, businesses can register their LLC with a virtual office from service providers such as iPostal1.
With a virtual office, businesses can take advantage of a local address in a new location. Registering your virtual office address on Google can boost local awareness. As a bonus, a virtual office can forward you any mail, receive fax, and phone calls in your new location.
Before opening a virtual office, check costs associated with state registrations, transit costs, and local market trends. Virtual offices exist in every state, so choose carefully. At the end of the day, you’ll want to select a location that aligns with your marketing goals.
In addition to a virtual office, get a feel for the city and develop a memorable advertising strategy. If city residents feel like your brand has the self-awareness needed to navigate a competitive market, prospective buyers will be more likely to remember you later.
Develop a story
Brands hoping to go national should have a more compelling reason than increased profits alone. Today’s customers engage well with social media marketing strategies, so having a unique story can make your brand more attractive.
Customers need to understand the brand’s values and identities as well as know the products or services you offer. Your story is what sets you apart from your competitors, so be sure to tell it well.
Create a holistic marketing strategy
Before sharing your product with a national audience, it helps to understand what your ideal customer wants. Then, build a holistic marketing strategy around that want. Your strategy should include digital and traditional media to target the national audience and localized media for store-level marketing.
With holistic marketing, companies can target apps and retailer websites. Since most shoppers engage with websites before shopping, businesses looking to grow should develop strategies to showcase their products on retailer websites. Even if they don’t click right away, seeing your name around can help build trust and recognition.
Set a realistic timetable
Remember the old saying about Rome? Building a national brand doesn’t happen in a day. It might take months or years to achieve your original goal. Depending on your product, you might also need approvals from government organizations, which can slow your scaling process.
When setting your timetable, work closely with an attorney to be sure you are following rules and regulations. No business wants costly fines and assessments for any accidental mistakes. It may hurt to see so much time penciled in, but not as badly as an indefinite delay would later on.
Part of this process should include meeting with vendors and distributors in each new market. They’ll help you establish your presence, so your time with them matters. When it comes to building relationships, time spent now is time saved later.
Build a strategic plan
It can be easy to get bogged down in details, so don’t forget to look at the big picture. Remember that no matter how many small choices you make, you need to have a bigger strategy at work, too.
For example, you might find yourself focusing on local concentric circles or choosing a shot-gun approach that lands in various places around the country. Do what works until it doesn’t work, then try a new approach based on your original strategy.
Wrap up
With thoughtful marketing and attention to detail, you can build your national brand, scale your business, and shoot for the stars. When things get tough, just remember how good it’ll feel once your brand is a household name.
