Branding, which originated in the nineteenth century, stems from the culture of branding cattle. The word originated from the Old Norse word “brandr”, meaning “to burn.” It reflected the practice of branding livestock with a unique mark to signify ownership and deter theft. It simply explains the thoughts and feelings people have when they experience your business and services.
Your brand is what people think and feel when they experience your business, product, or service.
Branding is more than just logos, designs, slogans, and emblems; it is about creating a distinct identity for your business. It involves making your product or service stand out from the crowd of competitors. In other words, branding speaks of distinctiveness.
Additionally, when we say “your brand,” we refer to the qualities and ideas that come to mind when people think of your business.
In this light, every brand has a voice, a distinct feel, and a unique identity. So, branding will quiz you on your brand voice, brand sound, and brand communication, as well as value creation and how people feel when they use your products and services.
Types of Branding
Different schools of thought believe there are six to nine types of branding; however, most ultimately fall into three categories: corporate, personal, and product branding. We will examine them briefly.
Corporate Branding
This involves your company itself. It addresses what sets your company apart from others. Branding an organisation is as important as branding the offering it’s selling. PepsiCo is an example of a corporate brand.
Personal Branding
Personal branding focuses on you as a brand, exploring what sets you apart from others. It’s intentional, it’s strategic, and it’s about your definition and expression. Michael Jordan is a classic example of a personal brand.
Product Branding
This involves branding an offering, whether it is a product or a service, that is not your own. It’s one of the most common types of branding.
What is your brand communicating?
What look and feel do you want your business to have? What is the voice of your brand? Some brands’ messaging could be
- Caution
- Lifestyle
- Wisdom
Your brand message or communication is about the core values your business is built on.
What is the promise of your brand?
No brand promise? Then your customers have no value or experience to look forward to. Eventually, they may be left to believe you do not care about them. A strong brand promise should resonate with your customers, set clear expectations, and build trust; otherwise, your brand has nothing to offer, even when that is not the case.
To create your business brand promise, it will involve you:
- Building a distinct identity through your products and services. Your identity separates you from your competitors.
- Learning to test your distinct identity amongst people, especially your customers. Your brand is not what you believe it to be or what you preach; customer satisfaction and feedback are the truest ways to know it.
- You have to humanise your products and services. You achieve this by being personable in the way you communicate with your prospects, leads, and customers. The idea is to make meaningful and memorable connections with your target audience. You can build a personal relationship with your customers by
Anything that makes your business have a one-on-one touch will do just right.
5 Things You Must Take Note of in Building a Personal Brand for Your Business.
1. Differentiate Your Business from the Noise, the Distraction, and the Competition.
You don’t want to be lost in the noise; you want to be noticed, and you will not be seen if you are lost in the crowd.
How then do you differ?
- You must humanise your products and services: people don’t like dealing with faceless businesses.
- You must sound like an authority. You must have results. You should show the workings.
- Your results, competence, and excellence are core things that will differentiate your business from others.
- Come in with social media noise, but it’s competence that distinguishes you. So, get that right.
- You must show class/excellence.
- Use your results or your competence to sell. Competence convinces people.
- Be loud with your skillfulness. We can’t say this enough.
2. Build to Your Strength
- Don’t portray that you are not good at what you do in a world where competitors exist.
- Don’t portray your weakness; instead, show your strength.
- Study 20 companies that have lasted for 200 years: learn what they know, and do likewise.
What are your strengths?
Build your strength in character and skillfulness; that way, your brand will reflect and embody your strength.
You don’t need to pretend about your competence.
3. Share in Their Lives.
The idea is to make your brand an essential part of your customers’ daily lives. People should think of you when they wake up and search for you both physically and online.
- Make sure you show up in people’s lives every day.
- Post more content on the platforms where you have the most engagement.
- You must post twice a day, regardless of how lazy you may feel; if you’re very serious, aim for at least four times a day. You can spread times of engagement between:
6-7:30 am: when the day is still very fresh. So that your customers see you early as they are waking up, and before they engage from 9 am.
12-1 pm: This period is a significant break time for professionals.
4-5 pm: People are mostly done with the major activities of the day and are heading home, especially office workers.
8-9 pm: Customers often turn to social media as a fun way to unwind and relax their minds.
Strategically positioning your outreach efforts would yield more engagement over time. And if you want to be essential to people, you must be authentic. People want to see your authenticity and your consistency.
Let’s say you have the desire to command so much attention in one month; then you have to post 10X a day. This way, people will be forced to notice you.
Brands that last are those that share in people’s lives. Be that brand that people see and hear every day, and after a while, you become the authority people always want to hear about in your niche market.
The most consistent noise will definitely be heard; however, customers often ask, “Is this just noise or good sound?” If it is good, then people will pay attention. This is why we advise you to establish authority and relevance by consistently showing up to your target audience daily.
4. Show You Can Be Trusted
As we discussed earlier, you must fulfill the noise that your brand promises. Every business is as good as the solution it provides, and your business is no exception; it is only as valuable as the problem you are solving. Once you demonstrate you can be trusted, people will reward your integrity with their money. Eventually, you will gain loyal clients who will not only patronise you but also refer more customers.
It’s important to remember that solving problems is not the same as simply offering solutions. Many businesses that present solutions often face challenges in making sales because their proposals are frequently taken to other companies for resolution. While anyone can suggest solutions without having a proper framework for implementing them, that does not guarantee they will get paid.
5. Monetise Your Brand
You must be able to make money from your brand. Be shameless in how you sell your brand. Ensure that people are buying into your brand. Follow the money; focus on the numbers. Analyse your products and services that sell more, and run ads on them. Do all it takes to gain traction, because you need more reach. Once you have them, start thinking about how you will market to them.
Your marketing must show your competence in delivering your value. Also, ensure you provide marketing that evokes psychologically powerful emotions, such as happiness and a sense of pride in using your product or service.
Also, ensure your marketing is social. Let your campaign promote societal well-being and influence behaviour change for the greater good, rather than profit. Let your marketing focus on benefits to society and the target population.
Get a personalised branding experience!
In conclusion, it’s essential to remember that a business without customers is not a business at all. Therefore, you should make every effort to attract customers. Merely existing in the crowded marketplace is not enough; if you don’t communicate what makes you unique, you risk getting lost in the competition. Start standing out today by letting your audience connect with you. Show them your distinct voice, and create anticipation for your products and services.
Make it right by taking the necessary steps. Let Hadi Consultancy help you identify the missing links. Our experienced team can provide you with tailored, well-researched solutions that align with your business brand’s core values and connect with your customers.
