5 Reasons to Invest in Your Brand Today

5 Reasons to Invest in Your Brand Today

So, you’re starting your own company. You’ve got your business plan, and you’re ready for the swarm of customers to start beating down your door and buying up your offerings at a lightning pace. Because that’s how it works, right? If you build it, they will come, right…?

Well, I’ve got bad news and good news. First, the bad news: Kevin Costner lied to us. Just because you build your field of dreams, doesn’t mean people will come out of the proverbial corn fields to make you a success. It’s a harsh reality, but it’s crucial for new businesses to understand that educating your customers and convincing them to choose you over the competition is one of the hardest, most critical piece of building a successful business.

Now, the good news: a strong brand can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you, and we’re about to break it down for you. Here’s what you need to know about building a strong brand that will help you connect to your customer base and grow your business.

Forbes.com:

“Branding is fundamental. Branding is basic. Branding is essential. Building brands builds incredible value for companies and corporations.”

Here’s Why You Need Branding for Your Business

For the most part, everyone seems to accept that marketing is good for business, but a lot of new entrepreneurs overlook the importance of creating a brand, because they consider themselves a business, not a brand. But what exactly are you marketing to your customers if not your brand?

When all elements of your brand should work together to create one seamless, attention-grabbing experience, you can attract new customers and bring back returning customers. You can even encourage those customers to tell their friends about, which is FREE advertising! A well-executed brand will help you reach more customers, sell more products, and grow your business more effectively.

Here are the five top reasons you should invest in professional branding today.

1.) Strong Branding Distinguishes You from the Competition

In our current global marketplace, it’s essential to stand out from your competitors. So, how do you prove to potential customers that they should choose your business over all the others? Yep, Branding! With a capital B! Branding is how you communicate your value to your customers in a short amount of time.

And yes, the time is short. While online shopping does make it easier to shop around, today’s customer has a much shorter attention span, because they need to move quickly if they’re going to get through even a fraction of a SERP (Search Engine Results Page). This is why you need to distinguish your business quickly and visually, like with a professional logo and oh-so-catchy slogan that draws them before the other guys have a chance to woo them.

2.) Brand Awareness Builds Trust + Increases your Value

Have you ever heard of Nike? What about Spam? Do you like Spam? Doesn’t matter, because even if you don’t like Spam, per say, it’s the top name you’ll go to if ever you need some canned meat parts in your life. This is Brand Awareness. It’s the degree of recognition a consumer has for a product, and it’s crazy important. Take your logo for instance. It’s essentially the face of your company. It should be memorable and should make an impression on your customers at first glance, which means it needs to be professional and consistent across all online and printed promotional products in order to build Brand Recognition, which is essential to Brand Awareness.

A strong brand increases your value to your customers, because a person feels more trust with a brand that has established an outstanding reputation for itself. In turn, they will pay more for that trust. Think about it this way: Customers do not blink an eye at the price tag of a Starbucks Coffee or an Apple iPhone. If a new competitor with an equal product entered the market, they could not offer their product at the same price. Why? Customers are paying for the brand because they trust the brand.

If you don’t believe your business is worth the investment of creating a strong brand, why would a potential customer invest in you?

3.) Branding Creates Customer Loyalty + Attracts New Customers

People are loyal to the brands they trust. The love to tell their friends and family about the ones they love. Luckily for those brands, they also to shout that love from the rooftops via Social Media — which again, is FREE advertising! People like to stand beside their brands. They want to be associated with the products and organizations that represent their values and beliefs. If you want that free shoutout on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you need a strong brand. They might even feel encouraged to leave you a 5-star review on Google my Business and a great write up on Yelp!. If you have a solid online brand presence, they can advocate for your business and send new leads to your inbox. Without it, you will miss out on those leads.

4.) Branding Establishes Your Position in the Marketplace

People are more likely to do business with a well-established or professional-looking brand. Think about this: If you’re shopping for a contractor to do a remodel on your house, are you going to choose the one with a polished website and sharp logo? Or are you going to choose the one with nothing but a sparse Facebook page and a picture of them holding a hammer? Even if both have great online reviews and comparable pricing, most people will feel more confident choosing the one who has positioned himself as the trusted industry expert that is worthy of your time and your money.

5.) Branding Gives your Business Longevity

Time has proven this one to be true: Stronger brands will always outperform unbranded products and services — especially during economic downturns and tough markets. The time to invest in your brand is when you’re ready to get serious about your business. Take advantage of the market while it’s hot and get your logo in front of customers now, so they’ll remember you when they’re ready to buy.