If anybody asks “ Why Branding is so important ? “ The answer is: Branding is not limited to a logo and color scheme. Nor is the goal simply to make people “aware” of your business. Though these are a part of the brand building process, they only scratch the surface. Branding gives your audience a clear sense of purpose and direction- a credible voice that people want to listen to.
When you think about your brand, you really need to think about your entire customer experience.. everything from your logo, your website, your social media experiences, the way you answer the emails/phone, to the way your customers experience your staff.
When you dive into the broad definition of branding, it can be a bit overwhelming to think about what is involved in your brand.
You have to be aware of your brand experience and have a plan to create the brand experience that you want to have… a good brand doesn’t just happen… It is a well thought out and strategic plan.
There is widespread ambivalence about the relevance of branding, especially among startups and small businesses looking to find their feet in an innately hostile environment.
For the most part, small businesses remain blinded by the erroneous assumption that brands exclusively signify the ‘bigger’ fish in the bond who have unrestrained access to massive budgets and nationwide recognition.
As a result, they acquiesce to their fate and do precious little other than coming up with fancy looking business cards or a catchy logo. This is ironic, considering that it is small businesses that need to leverage branding more than their well-established counterparts.
After all, branding gives your audience a clear sense of purpose and well-defined roadmap – a credible voice that people want to listen to.
In short, your brand is the way your customer perceives you.
Reasons why digging into your brand is important:
If your branding is consistent and easy to recognize, it can help people feel more at ease purchasing your products or services. As people tend to do business with companies they are familiar with.
If your branding is consistent and easy to recognize, it can help people feel more at ease purchasing your products or services. As people tend to do business with companies they are familiar with.
Today, game changers have realized that branding can no longer be viewed as a means to your prospects to prefer you over competition.
Your mission is to get them to see you as a dependable thoughtinfluencer who addresses their needs or solve their problems, candour and hopefully, better than anybody else. Against this overarching theme, your brand must accomplish the following objectives:
A clear brand strategy provides the clarity that your staff needs to be successful.
It tells them how to act, how to win, and how to meet the organization’s goals.
The marketplace is saturated. Sometimes, making a sale has more to do with being in the right place at the right time than being the best choice. People are no longer limited to their local market to find products and services. The Internet has opened up a world of options.
That means you must make the most of your opportunities when you get them. The businesses that are aggressive in their pursuit of new customers will win the sale most of the time.
Telling people how good you are at what you do won’t get them to buy. This is especially true for small businesses, online businesses, and freelancers.
Branding can give your business a decisive competitive advantage.
Because in the business arena, most of your competitors won’t have a brand strategy. They may have a logo or a nice-looking website, but that doesn’t mean they have an established brand.
With branding, you take control of business’s identity and its position in the market. Your position will influence how consumers see your business and how it can help them.
Many small business owners think marketing comes down to playing a “number’s game”. So, to get better results, they shovel more money into the marketing machine.
By building your brand, you create an identity that will attract more people to your business. This makes communicating with your target audience much easier.
Below are some examples of how branding makes your marketing more effective:
