As a business owner, one of the most valuable asset you could invest in is your brand.
In this post, I would like to address the importance of having a brand and how this can impact your business. As a visual brand designer and strategist, one of the things I see most business owners struggle with when starting out is having a well put together brand.
How many of you have an idea, started your business, then struggle to gain attraction?
Your brand speaks a lot about who you are, what your business has to offer, and why your clients should trust in doing business with you. I cannot stress enough when I hear business owners talk about how amazing their business is and why they are so passionate about what they do, but they lack the investment in their brand and this result in people walking away from closing a sale.
I get it, you just started your business and perhaps you feel like the business is still so new that you can get by with what you have without investing too much in the brand. You don’t think you can make a difference so you just let what you have as it is. You don't know what branding is or how it can help your business. You don’t have the budget at the moment, or you keep waiting until it's the right time, but let me ask you, WHEN WILL IT BE THE RIGHT TIME?
You only have one chance, one chance to connect with your audience.
This is why it's more important now than ever to invest in branding your business. If you want to gain trust from your followers, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BRAND.
We live in a time where people rely on a brand to lead them. Whether it's for personal or business, having a brand helps connects your audience to you.
Many of you think a brand is having a logo, picking a color, setting up a website or getting on social media and just post random things. No no no...Your brand goes beyond the design of a beautiful logo or a pretty website and more.
Your brand represents your entire customer experience from start to finish. It encompasses elements such as the overall aesthetic, communication style, social media experience, the values which drive your business and more.
First impressions matter! It has the ability to make or break your business success. In fact, you have literally seconds to make an impression before your viewer decide if they want to invest in getting to know more about what you do and what your business has to offer.
Branding your business allows you to express your creative vision and connect with your audience on a deeper level. When it’s done right, not only will your business look professional, it’ll also attract the right audience.
It's also important to brand your business because this helps differentiates your business from your competitors.
Your brand should also establish an emotional connection with your audience. It should communicate what your vision is and connect your audience to trust in your process and/or what you have to offer.
One great way to differentiate you from your competitors is to be consistent with your content. Having a cohesive look throughout all your marketing platforms or materials helps your audience recognize and distinguish you from your competitors.
Keep in mind, people don’t buy products or services, they also invest in brands. For example, brand names like Nike and Adidas; these brands have been around for long enough that when you see their logo anywhere, you automatically associate them with their well-established business.
Something to keep in mind as you start a business is that people don’t do business with you because of your service or what products you have to offers, there are a ton of other businesses that offer the same thing as you. By having a strong brand, this lets your client know you invest in your business, therefore you also invest in your services/products that you will provide for them. This automatically builds trust.