Hello there, you awesome person! Have you seen the recent hype about branding, but never knew what it is about? Don't worry, you are not alone. Most start-ups overlook the importance of branding simply because they have misconceptions about what branding is, or they simply never thought about exactly how it can help make their business better. So, in my quest to help people like you get a FEARLESS brand, here is a quick explanation of what exactly is branding. WHAT IS A BRAND?
a BOLD definition The word ‘brand’ was taken from the Old Norse word 'brandr' meaning "to burn". Long ago farmers marked their cattle to brand them as their own, so if their animals got mixed up, or stolen, the owner could show his brand and claim his property. In modern times, the word ‘brand’ refers to so much more than just a mark on something. A brand is the heart of your company. If your brand was a person, it would be the way it walk, look, talk and interact with people. A brand is not just your visual identity. It is how you speak to your consumer, how your receptionist answers the phone. It is how your offices’ interior design looks like. It’s how you treat your employees. It’s how your advertisements look and the tone of voice your marketing carries. It is the brand promise that you deliver to your consumers and the emotions that they experience when they interact with your products or services. A brand is an experience. It’s the ultimate core of your company. Branding is the promise you make to your client WHY SHOULD I INVEST IN BRANDING? If you have a company, business or startup, you already have a brand. It is your choice to actually DO something with that brand or to just leave it as it is and pass up on an opportunity to make your brand great. If you can think of ONE reason why your customers should buy from you rather than a competitor, you are ready to invest in branding. Effective branding breed loyalty Effective brands make you feel welcome. It makes you feel at home. Think about a brand you use frequently. If that brand brings out a new product, you trust that brand enough that you will buy it without thinking twice. Branding shows you are established – Even if you’re not If you looks like an established company that knows what you are doing, your success rate will go through the roof. You will have more clients that contact you for business because you already establish trust by showing them that you are committed to your business and the services you offer them. Let’s repeat that – You will attract more clients This is where brand psychology comes in. People have more trust in companies that has been established years ago because they believe in more experience. By properly establishing your brand, you will unconsciously enforce that believe in your client’s mind. Speaking of which - Attract the correct clients People like cheap things. But let’s face it, you don’t want cheap clients. You want clients that see your worth and are willing to pay for it. You put in blood, sweat and tears into your brand and you want to reap the rewards. Having no branding or the wrong branding can affect all of that. You will have a clear view of who you are A lot of people start businesses without business plans, visions, missions or even a simple goal plan. A LOT. And while it (may) work (sometimes) for (a few) other people, more often than not it’s the biggest mistake a startup can make. Knowing yourself, what you stand for and exactly what you offer your clients, you will reach your goals a lot faster and grow your company to it’s full potential. You will stand out in the crowd It may be cliche, but it doesn’t make it less true. People will always shop around and compare services offered. You have to stand out. They have to be drawn to your brand and become curious about your services / products. Chances are, even if they shop around and even if you are more expensive, you will still make the sale because your brand is more capable. You will be remembered While your potential consumer is shopping around for a service/product, writing down all the business, visiting their websites…they will remember the best brand. Because it will be in their face. It will be screaming at them at the top of its lungs. With your voice, if you have an effective brand. You consumer will remember your brand’s name, not so much because of what they see, but what they felt when they interacted with your brand. Branding will make selling your stuff easier Knowing who you perfect niche is, what they like and where to find them, will make it crystal clear on how to reach them. For example, if you have a trendy product for teenagers, but your brand image communicates to people over 60, you will not get much sales, would you? By knowing your niche you can focus on creating products and services that automatically communicates and relates to them. Branding saves time I know it seems strange, but it DOES saves time. If your brand message is strong enough through your brand positioning, people will know what you are about the instant they open you website, or when they walk into your shop. Since they know who you are and what you do, you can skip ahead to making the sale instead of trying to convince them about why they should buy from you or use your services. WHAT DO I NEED TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE BRAND? Brand Naming There is more to a brand’s name that meets the eye. The requirements for an effective name are almost endless. Apart from the fact that you need to like it, it needs to be memorable, speak to your client and make an impact. If you already have a name that you feel comfortable with, that is great, but I will suggest that you do an analysis of that name to make 100% sure that it will be fit for your company as a long term asset. Brand Positioning It is here where we establish your brand’s heartbeat, work out who you are and what you stand for. By positioning your brand, we make sure that you will stand out from your competitors, show that you are a professional in what you do and make sure that you attract the correct clients, in short, we will communicate your brand promise. This will also determine your brand essence and tone of voice, which ultimately will impact your brand identity. All this will bring the emotional aspect of your brand into play and determine what your client will feel when they interact with your brand. Brand Identity The brand identity is the visual aspect of your brand. Most believe that this is the logo, letterhead, business card and other corporate stationary, your brand identity is actually so much more. It is the fonts you use, the type of imagery you choose for your marketing materials, the type of filters you add to these images. All of these rules are put together in a guide we call the Brand Style Guide.
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