Building a Brand, Not Just a Business

In today’s world, offering a product or service is just not enough anymore, just start selling something or providing a service. No, these days people want to connect. They want to trust and engage with the brand. And this is why branding has become important in building customer loyalty. While the business has been set up to develop products and services to attract customers, branding builds the relationship and ties them emotionally to the brand.

Let us start by defining what Branding is all about; It simply means the process of creating a unique identity for your business that resonates with your target audience.

Sometimes we make the mistake, thinking branding is just about having a very attractive or colourful logo. Unfortunately, that is not the case, branding goes beyond a logo.

In fact, Branding in essence, is about how people perceive and feel about your business in general. It includes your values, personality and how you communicate with your customers.

Trust me, when you get your branding right, you will not only be in business but you will build brand trust with your customers and they become emotionally connected to you and the business especially, when you offer the right value.

So, for you to build a good brand, start by clarifying your purpose for setting up the business or service, for example; aside from making money why do you want to start the business/ service.

Then define or identify your target audience, craft your business story and be consistent with it, choose the right social media that will speak to your target audience and focus on giving each customer an unforgettable experience.

Branding makes you stand out from the crowd to enable you capture your audience’s attention and loyalty, you need to highlight what makes your brand truly unique and differentiates you from others(competitors). You need to ensure that your brand occupies a space in the minds of your customers and this can be achieved by telling a compelling story that resonates with your audience, that showcases not just your product but also the reason why it is different from other products and why it should be their choice.

Take for example, while many companies sell phones, Apple has built a brand around innovation, simplicity and luxury. Besides, their customers believe that Apple is sleek, user friendly and has cutting-edge messaging technology and this is really what sets Apple apart in the highly competitive tech market.

So, always ask the three relevant questions; what do l stand for? What change do l want to make? and how do l want people to feel when they interact with my brand?

Branding makes you stand out and also builds trust and credibility for your business. About 71% or so of your consumers are more likely to buy from brands they trust. More so, it is not just about having great products, it is about consistently delivering on the promises you made to your customers and also creating a reliable, trustworthy experience for your customers. Remember that when your brand is consistent and reliable, customers feel confident that they can count on you every time. Similarly, ensure that your branding, from your logo and messaging to your customer interactions, consistently reinforce this sense of trust and reliability.