Philip Schulte
Philip Schulte Philip Schulte

Growing a personal brand or business can be one of the most challenging tasks one can undertake. The process can be quite overwhelming, and you may even find yourself wondering where even to begin. It takes a great deal of industry research, planning, and reflection to come up with a strategy that will work for your specific brand. Philip Schulte , a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, knows this process well, as he’s assisted hundreds of individuals and many businesses in growing their brands.

As a published author and powerhouse publicist, Schulte started his own full-service marketing agency, PR Plugs, which assists others in propelling their brands to new heights in a variety of ways. Schulte shares five tips he believes will take your brand to new heights:

Establish a strong presence on all social platforms

Having a strong online presence is crucial when trying to establish and grow your brand. Schulte mentions that many people focus on one or two social media platforms but fail to establish a brand presence elsewhere. “You see a lot of brands focusing on Instagram alone, for example, but they have little to no presence anywhere else. It’s very important to be consistent on all social media platforms and to have a strong, appealing website as well.”

Find a way to differentiate your brand

It’s no secret that the internet is over-saturated with many of the same things. Without trying, you could easily find a hundred brands that all look exactly the same. Schulte emphasizes the importance of finding ways to stand out from the masses without sacrificing your overall mission and values. “One of the first things you should do when entering an industry is to research the competition to identify a unique angle for your marketing efforts (SWOT analysis). If you can do that while maintaining your values, consumers are much more likely to be drawn to your brand.”

Have consistency on all channels.

One of the biggest mistakes a brand can make is to be inconsistent with its mission statement. “Your mission statement and values should align on all of your social media platforms, websites, interviews, and advertisements,” Schulte explains. “Also, from a visual standpoint, your brand should be consistent in its physical appearance (logo, colors, etc.) to become more recognizable to the consumer over time. The best brands have found a way to make themselves instantly recognizable, so you want that to be consistent everywhere the consumer goes.”

Bring the brand to your consumers.

“Are you focusing your efforts in the right places? It’s important to identify your target market early on and then identify where your target market spends the most time. For example, if your target market is under the age of 35, you’re going to want to focus more on Instagram marketing than on Facebook; however, that doesn’t mean you should neglect your efforts on Facebook. It simply means to spend more time and focus on where your consumers are and don’t wait for them to come to you. Be proactive and bring the brand to them.

Engage with your audience each day.

Schulte stresses the importance of staying engaged with potential consumers. “Every time a potential customer sees your brand pop up on their screen, there’s a chance they will become an actual customer or even a repeat customer,” he said. For example, making strong efforts on social media to interact with consumers by liking and commenting on their photos goes a long way and leaves a positive lasting impression in their minds. When they need whatever it is you offer, there is a good chance they will choose your brand.”