3 Reasons Why Branding is Important
I just ended the series on what branding is and now I want to reveal to you 3 reasons why branding is important. Again, there are people on the market that tries to downplay the role of brand development swaying emerging entrepreneurs into a shallow way of doing business, but if you don't honor the principle of branding, it won't help you yield a continual return on your investment of money, time, and energy you put in to selling your product or service.
Many only focuses on getting the money, but you don't simply want first-time customers and clients. You want loyal brand ambassadors. You want to take your potential customers and clients from first time engagers and followers to purchasers to free marketers where they use their mouth to tell everyone about your brand and their experience with you. So, let's talk about the 3 reasons why branding is important.
#1 Branding is important because it establishes PERCEPTION.
Perception is all about how they perceive, view, and think about your brand. This can only be developed through a series of interactions. These interactions sometimes begin on social media or walk-ins to your store. Interactions can also include them finding you on Google, visiting your website, receiving something in the mail, receiving a phone call, text, or voice message from your brand, or viewing your billboard. All of these are interactions that have happened by some form of marketing. Will that impression be memorable? If someone saw your billboard, it impressed something on the mind. If the billboard was designed poorly, it had some effect. If they walked into your store and it was messy, it had some effect. If they tried to find you on social media but cannot find you because your social media handle is not the same as the brand or your first name, then it had some effect. Then, once they engage your brand fully by way of your website, is it poorly laid out? Does the navigation make sense to them? Is your messaging clear to who your product/service is for? Can they find any call-to-action buttons? Everything matters when it pertains to branding. Once they purchase your product or engage you in service, did you solve the problem within your guarantee? See, the way your client perceives you is built upon many interactions, and you want to diligently streamline aesthetically and systematically all of the ways that your customer and client will engage your brand because #allimpressionsmatter. 🙂
#2 Branding is important because it establishes EXPECTATIONS.
Once a customer or client forms a perception about your brand, that will determine if you have to work hard to form a different expectation. For example, if your store is messy when they walk in, they are forming a perception that moves into an expectation that this brand is not organized. Psychologically, frustration is being born. They breath in and then have to decide whether they want to fight through the disorder or simply walk back out. You could have the best customer service and the best product, but the negative outweighs that experience. You will have to work harder to gain their loyalty and give them reasons to work with you again. So, if you handle all aspects of your brand appropriately, you won't have to work hard. When I walk into an Apple Store, it is clean, chic, and branded to the gods. They have people at the door to open the door. They have staff to help you experience the product. They have support teams there to help you with technical support. They have cashiers ready to check you out. They have a clean environment with a lot of recess lighting, crisp fragrance, and ushers at the door to speak to you on the way out. Let's talk about Chic Fil A. Their lines may be twice as long as McDonalds, but nobody really cares. Why? Because your expectation that they have formed over several experiences with you are they are going to move those lines quickly, bringing you your food even if you are 10 cars back and not at the actual window. Its 90 degrees outside and they still feel like it is a pleasure to serve you. Your fries and chicken sandwich are still hot especially if you close the bag in your cold, air-conditioned car, but that is beside the point. You know what to expect and if that expectation is not met, they easily control the narrative with free food items, so you are loyal once again. What should your clients and customers expect from your brand, and do you consistently work on keeping those expectations?
#3 Branding is important because it establishes REPRESENTATION.
Not to beat the horse, but again, once you establish perception and expectation in your client and customer, representation easily is embraced. Representation is when your customers and clients begin to vouch for you. This means you have put a seal in your positioning in the marketplace. You have now positioned yourself to remain as a dominant force that cannot be reckoned with. You don't have to be a corporate brand to establish this. Personal brands do this all the time. Cindy Trimm is an excellent brand to engage. I will even throw myself in this mix. My client experience is exceptional. I go above and beyond for my new clients and returning clients. I have not had to do much marketing or spend money on ads because my former and recurring clients keep sending potential clients to me which fills up my client pipeline. It is amazing that my name is in the mouth of people who I don't know. I also simply show up authentically online and represent the brand in me. When you are a personal brand, people want to see your uniqueness and your gifts, but they really want to see your integrity, character, and transparency. They want to know if you truly care about them or if they are just a number in your CRM. They want to see your lifestyle and hear your message, morals, and values. Give it to them so that they will be able to connect to the brand. If you don't articulate it, represent it, and enforce it, another narrative will form. If you feel like you need help with your existing brand or you are an emerging entrepreneur and want to develop your brand for long-term success, then please let’s connect. If we are going to represent God, we must do this in the Spirit of Excellence so that God can trust that we will represent His excellent Kingdom in high places.
I hope this blog blessed your life.
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
- Quiana J. Speaks
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