Why is branding important?
Have you heard that branding is important but never quite got around to it? Do you use whatever colors or fonts just go with your message? Do you have a logo you’re proud of that easily describes what your company stands for at a glance? Maybe you feel like you're doing fine so it can't be THAT important? Well, branding really does matter and if you want to convert leads and potential customers into sales, allow me to show why.
Imagine you’re out with that person who knows EVERYONE. They never seem to have awkward moments, they just buzz around making NEW friends and strengthening their existing relationships.
Having a recognized brand, or not...is kind of like that. If you've got good BRANDING... THAT person is YOU and YOUR company!
You no longer need to introduce yourself when people remember your name.
Being remembered is half the battle, so when you meet someone again you can move on to the fun stuff. You’ve got to connect on a more personal level to solve a problem, build trust, and make the sale. We all know about the sales funnel but if you’re always stuck in the first level it'll be tough to get to that sale.
So how do you “Brand” anyway?
Branding 101 Checklist
Logo
Start with a logo. You don’t need to spend a ton of money but you do need to think about what you want your first impression to leave behind. Consider your logo to be the face of your company. How does it make people feel? What do they think it means? You can get away with creating one yourself using various tools but you’ve got to do your research. Canva is a great place to start because they help you through the ins and outs of what’s important in creating a logo. Plus, you’ll have a full style guide to use in Canva to make your own branded graphics. Fonts, colors, logo, etc. Your logo also needs to be in high resolution so you can use it for print, your website, graphics and more. You’ll need a version with a transparent background --- you can create all this in Canva too.
Colors
The colors you choose for your logo and branding matter and you should use these colors consistently. Do some research to see what colors are being used in your industry by your competitors to make sure you stand out. (Look at the signs near your store location too) Think about the adjectives you want your business to stand for, and cross-check them with meanings of those colors. Colors make people feel plenty of different things so choose them wisely.
Fonts
Fonts matter! I could go on and on about this but let me just ask you this… Would you take a law firm seriously that used fonts that looked like your first grader’s handwriting? I’ll answer that for you. That would be a hard- Hayle NO! It should be a font that makes you feel that they can be trusted, professional, and likely somewhat bold.
Voice
This is all about who you’re talking to. If you tell me you want to talk to everyone, you’re going to do a really good job of talking to no-one. So think about who is your very best customer and talk to THEM. It's called the 80/20 rule. Have conversations in a tone and a voice that will resonate with that best client so your target audience can begin to build a trusted, loyal relationship with your brand.
Being consistent with ALL of these things, logo, colors, fonts, and voice is important because it helps your company become a recognizable BRAND. Allowing each interaction to inch you further down that sales funnel.
When you see something from a brand you trust and love you don’t need further explanation as to where it came from and what they’re all about. So, think about what you stand for. If you need some help give me a call! Or call my friends, Jane and Jenn at BrandSwan! They’re awesome, and they think you are too!