Good question Jordan. By way of example, my two companies, Accountable Care Search Partners, LLC  &  Doctors With Dings™ Inc operate within the healthcare vertical consulting and recruiting the Doctor Candidate for the Client Hospital-Clinic Groups.  I targeted best methods for getting noticed online in my industry. Linkedin groups is a great start and it is free and it really works too. Once you have enough introductions within your industry, good things start to happen with others coming to you too.  Who would have ever thought that T. Boone Pickens, Jennifer Anniston and Steve Case, among others, would connect with me? I wouldn’t have.  Google + has also proven to be a good source too.  Facebook and I just don’t cut it.  Hope these examples help.

Hi @jordanrunsit,

You really need to have a good understanding of who your target market/audience is.  When you have a good grasp on who your target market is, you can focus your marketing efforts and budget on promoting to the right people.  I’d look into investing in some market research or using free tools like quantcast.com.  If you’re not found in quantcast’s database, look for competitors in your industry.  (Typically, the big brands are easiest to find)

@iamconsulting I agree that you should have a good grasp on your target market. @dcoville001 what I find people neglect to do is actually do the actual research work necessary to find what industry they fit in and what their main advantages are. Of course market research is key, but if your company isn’t able to find their own corporate identity, all of the research will be for naught. 

@jordanrunsit

Lots of good answers here. Let me add my .02: consistency.

You can’t build a brand by being inconsistent. You need to have a message that resonates with your target audience and then live it.

Our slogan is, “we don’t build websites, we build businesses.” Whenever something new comes along (mobile, social media, Pinterest, SMS, etc.) I try and decide if it helps us fulfill that statement. 

We want people to recognize our brand as the people you turn to when you really want to grow on the web…we’re not the right fit for people who just want a 5 page brochure.

That really resonates with our target audience.

i like to think our  basic  mission  statement  ..our   core   idea  is  our  brand…  ….and  try and  reflect  it in   all the ways our  business presents itself….hoping  the  brand we  try to  project  is  actually   reflected in  the  customers  expxerience when he gets  here….the  more authentic  the  better….

i think  this is  really important….and  try  hard  to   show that we are  different ….  and  worth the trip…

@daniloebs i use  swot  tests a lot….especially at  yr  end….and its  nice how  you  can use it   on  any  facet of  your  business…from inventory to  branding to workers…

  something i  think is   sometimes  missed when  trying to market      is getting    the  actual  business up to  par….where it is  good  enough to  actually  compete in the marketplace…where it has  the  right  target and  the  right   thing  to offer…. .. great  branding   probably  wont   work on a poor produc  in a  huge  field ……..

the  numbers  are  so a gainst  start ups..i think  we need  to always  be  critical of w hat we are trying to   sell and if it  fits.

@rich-brooks @iamconsulting love what you have to say. Curious though what you guys think about not just market research but developing your positioning and having a clear grasp on what it is you/the business wants to be known for. Without that how can you find good key words, how do you know what to say or what content to develop. If you know what type of ‘expert’ you want to become then you can research target audience, etc.

Thoughts?

Hey @rachelmaskell
I would hope that if you start a business, you’d have an idea of what you’d like to be known for doing well however I also believe that market research can help you figure out how you want to position yourself and/or business and determine where you can be of most help.  
Diving into a saturated market is difficult.  Getting a better understanding of what areas are lacking in your industry can help give you focus and a more clear path of development.
I’ve helped many business owners that were looking for an edge over their competitors develop products, services and unique business strategies that set them apart.  There would have been no way for them to have any idea what their target market was looking for without research.  
As far as keywords go, research is very important.  You can look at keyword tools all day but it won’t tell you how your customers search for your business, products or services.  Here, market research can really come in handy.

For me at least (and I’m hoping there are more people that feel the same), researching your market should be the first thing before getting into any new area whether it be for product, service, location, etc., it’s really the only way you know what you’re getting yourself into.  I could continue but I need to pick up dinner. =)

@rich-brooks @iamconsulting thank you for the great responses. It’s interesting to me because I work with the holistic health market. Most people that start their practice do so because of their own life changing experience, which means most are not trained to do market research, but is very wise to do so. I appreciate you both taking the time to share your thoughts and I will read through them again.

Building your brand is about building trust and relationships. When I started my first business, a drive in movie theater, I hosted a lot of community events. We welcomed the girls scouts, non-profits, other businesses to come and join us. We demonstrated that we had a community product and we were he to be a part of this community. I started my marketing firm, and essentially used the same model. I networked like crazy, attending every event I possible could. I would listen to peoples business problems and then help direct them to a solution, building trust. I guess those are my two examples, one b2c and one b2b. I have been very happy with how each has been accepted.