Get Ahead! The Imperative Role of Branding

Branding is an essential aspect of business and goes beyond just your name, logo and the image you portray. Here are a few reasons why branding is important, as well as ways to improve your own branding. 

Apple Logo in Macbook

Helps You Stand Out 

In the sea of other brands, products, and services, standing out is the difference between success and failure. Whether it be the design on your cartons or the type of social media posts you create, separating yourself from the crowd is half the battle. 

You should also look to other companies in your niche and see what works for them. The adage “if you can’t beat them, join them” should be prevalent in your branding strategy. Improving on something that already works well is another way to separate you from other companies.

Improves Trust

Branding is something we have come to expect from a business, and when crucial elements are missing, we start to doubt the legitimacy of it. It is an easy decision when you are faced with two competitors, one with clear and concise branding and one without. 

Remember that trust is the basis of sales; when a customer trusts you and trusts the product or service you provide, more often than not, they will recommend you to others and become repeat buyers. 

Influences Buying Decisions 

Multiple studies have shown that branding plays a massive part in a customer’s buying decisions. More and more customers are choosing brands that focus on a purpose and stand for something bigger than themselves. 

Especially in this day and age, customers want to buy from brands that are eco-friendly and greener than their competitors; many are also willing to spend more money on your product simply because of what you stand for.

Increased Employee Support 

Internally, a strong brand creates employee support and loyalty. When employees know what they represent and stand for, it has been shown that they work harder and do their best to maintain said image and values. To make it more impactful, you can offer equity to your employees and practice team building activities according to your business niche.

When your employees have a message and brand that they support, they are also more likely to stay with your company for longer. 

Conveys Your Company’s Mission, Story & Values

As mentioned already, having a company mission and values is one of the best ways to build a relationship with your customers and employees, as well as painting your business in the best light. 

A company that advertises how it was started, what problem/s it wanted to solve, and how it creates solutions is a company that people will put value into. Think of it like a presidential campaign; would you choose a candidate who has developed solutions to your problem and will offer them in a way that benefits you, or would you choose the candidate who has none of that and is just there to be recognized or make a quick buck?

How to Improve Your Branding 

When it comes to improving your branding, there are several steps you can take. While you will need to be patient to see results, these steps will send you in the right direction towards success. 

Know Who You Are Talking To

Firstly, you need to know your audience and who you are talking to. If your customers are younger and more modern, choose a tone and campaign that is edgier, make social-media-focused content, etc., while if they are older, you may want to use more formal language. 

These may sound like small changes, but for your brand to be recognized within your target audience, you have go to feel like a brand they can connect with. 

Tell a Story 

55% of consumers are more likely to remember a story than a list of facts. The Brand Shop ↗

A company story is the best way to show that you are open and honest about your journey and humanizes you in the eyes of your customers. This will, in turn, help you form more genuine and lasting connections with your audience. 

With brand loyalty being a main goal of branding, being able to connect on an emotional level that doesn’t just appeal to the consumer side of a customer is one of the best ways to achieve that goal. 

Utilize Influencers

In this day and age, one of the best tools for getting your brand and company in front of as many eyes as possible are influencers. Many people look to influencers when it comes to what they buy, and an influencer can help add credibility and trust to your brand. 

It also helps you connect to new audiences, and when said audiences trust the influencer promoting your brand, they will then trust you, which often leads to an increase in sales. 

Be Active on Social Media

Once again, in the tech-dominated world we live in, social media can be used to increase brand awareness far more than a traditional billboard or TV advert. However, simply posting on Instagram regularly, for example, isn’t enough. 

Use social media to build individual relationships with your customers, reply to their comments, engage with them, understand their behavior and offer bonuses or freebies for sharing or “liking” your page; these are all simple steps that can drastically increase the trust a potential customer has in you. 

The importance of branding cannot be overstated enough, and while it takes time to create a brand that becomes relatively mainstream, starting early and doing it properly from the get-go is one of the best ways to lead your company to success.