How Can Small Companies Deliver Great Brand Experiences?

Self-published writers, like me, know they don't have as many resources as publishing companies so.

We have nothing but ourselves, our support network and our own resources. Nevertheless, we still need our books to stand out among books from authors that have the resources we don't.

If you're an entrepreneur in the entertainment industry, or in any other, I bet you feel the way I do.

But I realized it's a waste of time and energy for you to obssess over the resources I don't have. Instead, you should ask yourself the following questions.

• How much thought do you give to the experience your clients have with your brand?
• Is it your top priority to deliver an excellent customer experience? Is every business decision made with this in mind?
• It's easier for small brands to have closer relationships with their clients. How are you using that as leverage over your competitors?
• How can you use the available resources to deliver an entertainment experience your clients will never forget?

In this article, you'll find out how I've been doing it for my own brand, Lua Story.

Everything you do through your brand must be intentional (and on-brand!)

You must have the utmust clarity about the reputation you're building for your brand. I knew I wanted Lua Story to be known for its love stories—regardless of their media. So I couldn't market it as a publishing company. I market it as an entertainment company.

That said, I did start out with books. So I decided I'd write stories that are enjoyable even for people that aren't much for reading but still love romance. That's why I chose O último Primeiro Amor to be its launching product.

It's relatable because it speaks about the dilemma between following your heart or being the person everybody wants you to be. So I knew it could be embraced by people from different ages and origins. And it was!

I also made sure that it was a novella—a short and satisfying experience—and that its layout made reading as pleasant as possible. I also launched the brand in a café—much less informal than a bookstore. The first edition sold out in less than 24 hours.

Your relationship with your client must be as personal as possible.

You don't have to communicate with the clients directly. But they still must know what and who they're supporting when they buy your product. Your product is also a touchpoint and a channel of communication in itself. So it has to speak for you.

Instead of launching O último Primeiro Amor with an author bio in the book's flap, I chose to write a letter introducing myself and telling my story. So, when the readers first get their hands on the book, they already know everything they need to know about its author.

Your audience needs to be the co-creator of the brand experiences.

Events are incredible opportunities to introduce one's brand to the world. I decided to make the best out of Lua Story's first literary event.

So I partnered with the scenographer?Iago Germano in order to make the booth I had in the self-published writers area stand out. We decided to make it a place where the people could interact with me and with each other. So we made it possible for them to leave or take love letters to past loves, crushes or even lovers that they hadn't met yet. They could read their fortune in love and share their stories with me.

Not everybody bought the book. But I gained social media followers and gave some people the best time they had at the event. So much that they brought other people! And O último Primeiro Amor?sold out again in its first literary event.

What can you do to deliver a great experience to your readers, viewers, followers or clients? Tell me!

This article is also on the blog of the entrepreneurial training platform Inventivos.