How to use your company's history to build up your brand

A company that has a proven track record of success can often edge out the "newbies." In other words, if your company has been around for a long time, then you must be doing something right.

The question then becomes are you capitalising on your company's history? Here are some proactive steps you should take to build your brand through your history:

Share your company's story

Your company's website should have an "About Us" page. This isn't just where you tell potential customers what you do, but you also tell them who you are. What was the inspiration for starting your company? Who were the founders? What obstacles did you overcome to persevere? Those are the types of questions you should answer as you tell the story of your company's founding.

Everyone will know from the landing page what services or products you provide, but it's that origin story that can resonate with customers and forge that strong brand identity.

Celebrate the milestones

How long has your company been in business? With each passing year of success, you're able to expand your customer base. It's time to celebrate those milestones.

Consider Quincy Compressor, purveyor of some of the "world's finest air compressors." They are proud to proclaim they've been in business since 1920. That means they are able to bring decades of design and operational experience into every piece of machinery they sell.

But, even being in business for five years is still a milestone worth celebrating.

Dig into the archives

Along with your company's website, you should also be active on the various social media platforms. Many sites like Facebook have embraced "Throwback Thursday" or #TBT. This is a great opportunity to share some of your company's photos from the archives. Those old photos can evoke great memories for your customers. It's another way of sharing your history and reinforcing your brand identity.

Highlight your staff

A company's history isn't just dots on a timeline. It is a story of loyal employees who helped make the company into what it is today. You should introduce (and in some cases reintroduce) your staff on a regular basis. If you have an "employee of the month," then by all means share the achievements of that individual with the rest of the world. This is one way your company's brand can become personal, and that's something every customer will appreciate.

Look toward the future

Just because your company has a rich history shouldn't mean that it's stuck in the past. While it's important to share that history, it's equally important to remind your customers of the future. Sharing innovations and progress in context with your company's history will have your future story resonating with those customers.

As brand-marketing tools go, your company's history is a rich resource that won't cost you anything!