Developing a strong brand identity for your business is an extremely important factor in its success.
Effective branding can help build your reputation, make you stand out from your competition and project your values to attract your ideal client.
Although your visual brand identity is important, your brand includes more than your logo.
A strong brand identity:
- Is everything you are, the value you deliver and the total client experience. Every image you project needs to consistently reflect the personality of your business.
- Reflects your business’s promise, message and values. It creates trust and loyalty from those who do business with you. Your identity should be consistent with and reinforce your purpose and your core message to your customers.
- Conveys the expectations and promises that you extend to your clients in terms of quality, service, reliability and trustworthiness. This shapes their perception of both you and your business.
- Helps the audience differentiate you from your competitors – positively influencing their decision to hire you.
- A good brand communicates clearly, artistically and creates credibility. It enables you to provide customers with an image that can evoke feelings about your business. This has a powerful impact on whether someone wants to do business with you.
Branding myths
There are several myths and misconceptions that small business owners believe that get in the way of developing a strong brand identity.
We don’t need a brand
Since more people search for products and services online, you need a quality visual identity for your web presence.
You can’t properly represent your business online without one. Whether you have developed a professional brand or not, your business has a brand.
Your company name, how you deliver on your promises and what your customers say about you when asked creates an impression of what it is like to do business with you. That, my friend, is your brand.
You can let it be developed for you through online customer reviews or your competition, or you can take control and manage it to your advantage. Your choice.
We can design our brand ourselves
We have all experienced the effects of a do-it-yourself brand.
What do you think when you are handed a self-printed, black-and-white business card? What happens when you get to a website that looks home-made?
People will judge your ability to provide the solution they are seeking based on their first impressions of your business, both online and off.
Don’t risk turning away potential clients with an unprofessional brand.
We can’t afford to have a professional brand developed
Having your company brand professionally designed costs money. Though, not having a high-quality, visual identity may cost your business more.
The visual representation of your identity is something that takes a skilled resource.
A logo that is not aligned with your vision, values, target audience and positioning could cause confusion in the market.
For example, if you provide quality services with attention to detail, your lack of attention to detail in your brand will send a conflicting message to your prospects.
Benefits of having a strong brand
1. Makes your company look bigger
When prospects see a professional brand consistently used on your business cards, website or social media profiles, they get the image of a company that deserves their business. Prospects look for a company that has the resources to help them succeed. They will also expect to pay more for a more established company. If you don’t project a strong brand identity in any way, they will think you are small and not worthy of their business. They also may not pay you the fees that you deserve.
2. Creates an identity that is bigger than you
Many independent professionals that offer consulting or coaching services end up building a brand around themselves, rather than the business. If your goal is to become a public figure, that may be fine. However, if you want to separate the business from you for future growth or sale, develop a brand for the company. A unique brand will be one of the assets that come into play during the sale or acquisition.
3. Builds loyalty and trust
A unique brand that differentiates you in the marketplace can separate your business from the competition. A strong brand that conveys your values builds an emotional connection with customers. This will attract them to your business if they share the same values. This type of connection makes it easier for you to develop a long-term relationship with those customers, which leads to greater customer loyalty.
4. Conveys stability
You may be the best, most experienced person in your field, but no brand or a self-created brand conveys an impression that the company won’t last. A brand helps you develop an image for your business that says, “I’m here to stay”. A well-defined brand identity projects a long-term feel to those who see it regularly. Eliminate any question about your viability by having a crisp image and clear messages.
5. Makes your business memorable
Developing a strong brand identity and using it consistently helps customers remember who you are. The more your prospects see your brand, the more likely they will contact your business for information. Every time you get to interact with your prospect, you have a chance to make a connection and create a memorable brand experience.
6. Shows commitment and personal pride
Investing in a unique brand identity shows that you take pride in your business and are committed to success. Customers will believe you are more likely to deliver on your promises to them because a business that invests in its success will under-promise and over-deliver, creating more brand loyalty and trust with every customer interaction.
This article was adapted from http://www.masterful-marketing.com
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