What is Branding

Branding is so much more than a logo. Branding has the power to set your business apart, to make it stand out above the crowd & competition. Branding is the experience that resonates with your customers. It is one of the most important pieces that explain to people who you are & what you do as a business. It is your business elevator speech. It can set you up for success or can set you up to fail.

Logos are an important piece to your brand, but just having a beautiful logo will not resonate with people & make your brand one that is memorable. What many people do not know is that your voice & mission are JUST as important to your brand as you logo is. Every detail comes together to make your brand unique. Everything from your color scheme, your logo, the images you use, your personality in your content, your social media posts, your email signature, your website, etc.

Did you catch why branding is so successful for your business? I’ll repeat it. Because it can either set you up for success or for failure. Your brand is what gets people’s attention & makes you the conversions you need. Let’s look at an example. If you claim to be a sophisticated clothing brand for women, but your website is basic HTML with no styling, your Instagram is full of cute kitty pictures, & your business cards use the comic sans font in a rainbow of colors, would you be screaming high-end? Most definitely not. Your brand needs to be a tool that represents your business in an attractive way to get your dream-client’s attention.

All the elements of your business come together to create a brand image that people learn to trust.

Elements of a Successful Brand

To have a successful brand, you need to consider a few things; consistent visuals, uniqueness, relatable content, genuine character, & value.

Consistent Visuals & Brand Awareness

Let’s talk consistency first. You know when a commercial for Nike or Apple comes on the TV & before you even see the logo of who it is for, you just know? “This is a Nike commercial.” Or, “This is for Apple.” That is all because of strategic & cohesive branding, my friends. I am guessing that your businesses are not as big as Nike or Apple, BUT when your photo on Instagram pops up on someone’s feed, you would love for them to know it came from you, right?! This is called brand awareness. Consistency in visuals, style, & voice help with brand awareness. The more you are consistent, the more people learn what to expect from your business. They become aware of your brand & it’s visuals. What it has to offer. And brand awareness helps with conversions. And that’s ultimately what you want. More clients, more customers, more buyers.

Uniqueness

To be able to stand out in your competitive field, you need to be unique, not just go with the trends of today. You need to brand with your ideal clients in mind, not just slap a trendy logo together. People like uniqueness. That is why the whole hipster movement started & got really big a few years back. People want to stand out. They want to attract attention. Your brand will just fall into the background of all the other companies who do what you do if you look just like their brand. Catch people’s attention by being real and unique.

Relatable Content & Genuine Character

People also look for a brand with a face that represents it. A face that they can relate to. Nike features athletes because their ideal audiences are athletes. And they want to relate to them. Car commercials do not sell cars. They sell family road trip memories in their car. They relate to their audience by letting the audience picture their family in that new car on a road trip creating memories. Same with your business. You need to be relatable to your ideal client. One way you can do this is by being a little vulnerable. A lot of successful Instagram accounts share behind the scenes pictures so that their audience can relate to the messiness and the realness of life. Perhaps they are assured that their messy office is normal. People like to see genuine character in a brand. Be real about who you are and what you do. Don’t fake who you are because that is not making your brand unique.

Value

Brands that lack value, lack a true engaged tribe. Your tribe will be engaged with you, continue to come back to you & remember you if you are providing them with value. With great customer service, great products, and free content that is actionable. Zig Ziglar once quoted, “If people like you they will listen to you, if people trust you they will do business with you.” Creating consistent value for your tribe will create business for you.

Remember, starting a business is hard. But it is nearly impossible to do without branding and digital marketing strategies in place. Not sure where to start? Take my free quiz!!

Related: 3 Reasons You Need a Brand Mood Board and How to Make One