Why Branding is More Than a Logo

It's A Great Time To Start Catering To Customers

Throughout my career, I’ve had the honor of working with many small business owners by aiding them in marketing their products and services.

Most people don’t get the point that branding is more than a logo. One of the biggest misconceptions out there is that once you have a great logo your work is done, your brand is built, and there’s nothing more you can do to maintain it.

Not even close to true!

The larger your company is, the harder it is going to be to maintain your brand’s image. That’s right, your brand even has a reputation to maintain!

The Foundation: Who’s Your Ideal Client?

The most important thing you can do for your business if you already haven’t is to sit down and consider who is your ideal client?

Are you going to cater to primarily men or women? What is the age group of the people you’re wanting to serve? What is their income? How do they spend their free time?

You’ll want to get extremely detailed – the more details you know about your type of client, the better because you’re going to take all this information and put it into work!

Many people will skip over this by thinking that it is not important, but it can truly help you because by knowing this information and having it laid out ahead of time, you’ll know how to speak to those in your target market.

If your business is going to assist men in their 30s-40s, for example, you would probably not address them as your “bro” in your advertising, and you certainly wouldn’t describe anything you have to offer as ‘lit.’

Customer Service is a Huge Part of Your Brand

One of the most important things you can do in your business is to treat your customers well. After all, they are the reason that your business stays in business.

If you have employees, it is especially important that they are trained. They need to know how you would want your customers to be treated in a variety of situations. They also need to know what to do or what steps to take if they have to deal with a situation that they haven’t dealt with yet.

The general rule of thumb though is that you’ll want to make sure your customers are being treated well. This is especially true in difficult situations or where the outcome is less than desired by the customer.

Having a Professional Appearance – Inside and Out

In business, it’s not just about the appearance of your employees, but also that of your website and your physical business (if you have a brick-and-mortar location).

Of course, you want your employees to be well-groomed, but making a good first impression goes far beyond appearance. You’ll want a clean-looking website that’s easy to navigate and also clear on how to contact you.

If you have a physical store location, you’ll, of course, want to achieve the same goals of having a clean appearance without clutter and a clear way of doing business that is obvious to the customer.

Several factors affect your brand, but these three points are three of the most important (and overlooked) in my personal opinion.

Tons of businesses aren’t fulfilling these simple points either online or at their physical locations. The next time you engage with a business, think about whether the company is living up to your expectations.

As business owners, one of the smartest things that we can do is learn from our own bad business experiences.

Oh…. AND ONE MORE THING:

How Color Affects Customers

Oftentimes, a small business owner looks inward when developing the centerpiece of their brand – a logo. It’s important to remember that the logo isn’t about you. It’s about the customer. Yes, you have to live with it – but it’s primarily a tool for attracting customers.

Color is one of the first things a potential customer will notice about your logo. While it’s not the only thing, color triggers a response. Take a look at the infographic below to consider how your brand may be attracting (or repelling) customers.

Remember, it’s not about you – it’s about your customers.