August 26, 2020
Calling all entrepreneurs, boss ladies, and everyone out there hustling with dreams of owning a business one day! Let’s talk branding. You may already have a company, but do you have a brand? Branding is a way for consumers to associate products and/or services with your company. Strong branding gives your company identity and makes it stand out when put against competitors. It is proven that more people will do business with a company they are familiar with. For example, if you’re picking up a bottle of soda, unless you’re just balling on a budget, you’ll probably reach for Dr. Pepper instead of Mr. Thunder because you’re familiar with Dr. Pepper’s brand. You know what it’s going to taste like, and you trust it. Who knows what’s in a can of Mr. Thunder.
It isn’t just putting your company out there, its how you put your company out there. When you are creating a brand you are creating an image for your company. Make sure you don’t skimp on the details. If you haven’t already, you need to define who exactly your ideal customer is. You need to know their age, gender, education level, income, hobbies, relationship/parental status, and location. These things will give you a clear vision of who you are marketing to, which will help you decide on the details of your brand. These details all need to be cohesive and aimed at catching the eye of your ideal customer. The way you portray your company on social media, your website, your business cards, and the decor in your brick and mortar business all need to tell the same story in order to have a strong brand that people start to recognize.
Make your company more than just offering a product or service. Give your customers an experience that keeps them coming back and singing your praises to those around them. After you know who you want as your customer, you need to know your why. Establish your mission, vision, and values. Why did you create your company? What is its purpose? What makes your company different than your competitors? These things allow your customers to connect with your brand and see the passion you have for your business. People want to do business with people, not businesses. Make your brand reflect your heart and why you put so much work into creating a business.
Once you have a strong brand image, it will start working for you! People will begin to recognize your brand, choose it over others when given the chance, and rave about it to their peers through word of mouth marketing. People who are interested in your brand will start following it on social media, which could lead them to your website to buy your products and book your services, ideally making them repeat customers.
Branding is important, so taking the steps to break it all down and investing your time in figuring it all out is well worth it.