Branding is about so much more than just your logo, although that is an important part. Branding covers all elements of your visual identity, from the font you use and your tone of voice to the colour and logo.
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Recognition
It’s important for customers – and arguably more important for potential
customers – to recognise your business and understand what you do. That way,
when they’re searching for a product or service, your business comes to mind.
To make the most of that, you’ll need to make sure you’re consistent; use the
same logo, the same name, and the same colours. If you are continually changing
things or updating, you risk losing the impact of previous ‘touchpoints’
consumers have had with your business.
Loyalty
Most consumers are creatures of habit. They like what they know. Your brand
should communicate the company values, and when that emotional connection with
customers is made, loyalty lasts a long time.
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Trust
Building on customer loyalty, when the time comes to launch a new product, you
have an audience that is already engaged with your brand. They will be
receptive to new things from brands they know.
Credibility
Depending on the nature of your business, customers might do a lot of research
before committing to the purchase. This gives them confidence to buy, and it
might include reading reviews, talking to friends, and following social media
channels. Solid branding can convince customers to skip this step and buy again
from you rather than researching another company.
Competitive Edge
Ultimately, your branding is what sets your business apart from your
competitors and helps you stand out from the crowd. In a very competitive
industry, being instantly recognisable gives your brand an edge over others in
the marketplace. The better your branding and recognisability are, the harder
it becomes for competitors to get traction.
For more information about why branding is so important from someone whose
business it is to make yours stand out, see the advice from Fiona Robertson and look out for
a full-service branding agency like Really Helpful Marketing (www.reallyhelpfulmarketing.co.uk/brand-development/) to get your
branding into great shape.
We are bombarded daily with so many brands trying to communicate with us that
it becomes ever more important to ensure that your branding is strong,
recognisable and effective.