What do Google, Facebook, Coca Cola, Sony, and Starbucks have in common? They are all great brands. Branding is one of the crucial elements of any business, whether large or small. A good brand can help you to gain a competitive edge in an increasingly competitive market. A bad one, on the other hand, can hinder your wealth and prevent your business from growing. Every business owner has one dream: to be wealthy. A good brand can help you to achieve your dreams. When a brand is created and maintained professionally, it propels a business to success. Many business people think that branding is only for the big companies with lots of money. Nothing could be further from the truth! You can build a strong brand regardless of the size of your business. Oftentimes, small businesses fail to leverage the opportunities that branding offers. Don’t let yours be one of them.
While every business owner starts a business for different reasons, the end goal is financial security. One person may start a business to improve their family’s living standard while another could go into business to secure their future financially. Unfortunately, most business people don’t know a thing about branding. Some choose the wrong names for their businesses while others have branding that is out of synch with what they do. This is a big mistake. If you want your business to create an experience and leave a lasting impression on your customers and prospects, you must have an exceptional brand.
A good brand can help you to command a premium price in the market. One of the popular truisms in marketing is that only one product is cheap, the rest just find a way to differentiate themselves. Products made by big brands are often expensive because clients pay for the intangible gains they get from relating to the brands. A simple product can make one appear clever, cool, or stylish. A brand can help you to differentiate yourself from your competition. Once you build a solid brand, you can command higher prices.
Some business owners think “A brand is just a logo, and I already have one”. A brand has never been and will never be a logo. A logo is simply one of the mediums you use to make your business visible. A brand encompasses your vision, the promise you make to customers, your business’ values, and its personality. It depicts the way your business behaves and how it’s seen by customers. In addition, it affects many of your business decisions – from the staff you employ to the marketing strategies.
Your brand appeals to the emotions of customers and prospects, and it is no secret that people buy products and services based on emotions. A brand can push the emotional buttons of your target customers, creating a shortcut in their decision-making process. Instead of hesitating over options or thoroughly comparing alternatives, they will quickly choose your products or services. They will react every time they see your brand. As more people recognize and interact with your brand, they will connect with your business on a deeper level. It goes without saying that if you fail to build a strong brand, you will never be able to connect with your audience instinctively.
In the olden days, brands were associated with consumer products. Service providers never bothered with branding because it wasn’t crucial to their business operations. Times have changed. Service providers now understand the value of branding. While they don’t sell products which customers can touch, see, or taste, they know that branding can help them to build confidence and trust with customers. Once customers trust you, it’s easy for them to buy from you.