In this article, we are going to give you the low down on why branding matters for your business.
Question: when someone looks at your business, what do they see? Whether its a customer, an employee or maybe a potential investor when they see your branding, all will leave with an impression of your business, what it does and the quality of service it offers.
Branding itself encompasses everything – logos, imagery, print stationery, social media, websites the list goes on. When done well it should promote a consistent message of quality to your audience and become a true asset driving your business into the future. Let’s look at a few key reasons to display the importance of good branding.
A First Impression
You only get one chance at making a first impression, so it better be good! Thoughtful and well-designed branding often gives a prospective customer or client the incentive to engage with your business, while mediocre or poor branding will do just the opposite. Think of it this way; why do you wear a suit to work? Or comb your hair, put on make-up? This care and attention should be taken to the business card you hand to your client, the poster you put up in a shop, the website you display. Like it or not, as soon as someone looks at your website, hears your radio ad or find you on facebook, you are being judged, so make sure that experience is as good as possible.
An example
From a customer perspective: does this logo promote the care and attention that you would expect to be given to your car?
From the owner perspective: does this logo allow the business to grow, open a second shop or raise pricing in the future?
Help improve loyalty
With good branding that reflects your customers values, it allows people to align themselves with your business on a personal level. With a positive experience that customers believe validates their own self-image, it turns the one-off sale to an on-going relationship. These loyal customers are your greatest assets, without any direct incentives they will likely recommend and persuade others.
Pricing can go up
Strong branding adds a perceived value to your business, meaning customers may be willing to spend more to buy into your image. Have you wondered why a shirt with a nike logo costs so much? Or why your child might only want to wear ‘insert brand name here’ shoes? People often purchase into the status and prestige of a brand over the actual product or service being offered.
Attract better employees
You may not have even considered why branding matters when it comes to hiring.
Like customers, good branding works with employees too. Staff that are proud to wear your logo, hand out flyers or answer phones are the ones you want! With branding helping to promote the business’s core values and objectives, employees are more likely to become brand advocates, drive internal culture with a common message to rally around.
It’s competitive out there!
Finally, and probably most importantly, is why branding matters when it comes to getting the edge on your competitors. Your business should jump at any opportunity to better differentiate itself from the competition, and good branding will do this. It can give you the edge over a buyers decision, and previous points in this article add to this distinction. Is the first impression representative of your business? Do you have a loyal and vocal customer base? Are your employees proud of their workplace? It all adds up, and with the time and strategy allocated to great branding, can pay off far into the future.
How are you looking?
Does your businesses branding best reflect the quality of service or products being offered? Or, like the example above, it your logo composed of a strange font (Papyrus… for a car detailer?!) and clipart? If you think there are areas to improve upon, want to get the edge on your competitors or need some general advice, don’t hesitate to contact us 😉
Thanks for reading this blog. I hope this has provided you with a clear understanding as to why branding matters for your business.
