Is Branding Worth It?
IS BRANDING WORTH IT?
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: keep reading to see if these are things you’d like to have for your business…
Would you like to be able to concisely say what sets you apart from others who offer something similar in your industry?
If yes, developing your brand strategy helps you get clear on your unique value proposition and what’s special about you, your approach, or your products/services. I’ve seen this give so many of my branding students a boost in confidence so they can talk about what they do with ease.
Do you want to be known for what you do so you can attract your dream clients?
Every entrepreneur does, right? That’s most likely why you started your own business - to do the work you love and to work with people you love, too. Amiright?
Do you want to not only attract dream clients, but also deliver such an amazing experience that they stay brand loyal, giving you the opportunity to sell to them again and again?
FACT: The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%, while the probability of selling to a new prospect is only 5-20%.
The math speaks for itself!
Do you want to establish a positive emotional connection with your audience, inspiring interest and trust?
FACT: 94% of people said they’d be highly likely to recommend a brand they were emotionally engaged with. (Gentler)
In my book, inspiring your audience and evoking an emotional reaction is one of the top priorities in building a brand. It means you understand your customer so well that you KNOW what will create an emotional response - - - and it’s usually tied to solving a problem that’s been weighing on them, or helping them achieve a desired lifestyle or goal.
Would you like your audience to know what you stand for and choose to follow you, buy from you and remain loyal to you based on what you believe in and the core values you hold dear? (Think Patagonia and its primary core value of saving the planet).
FACT: 89% of shoppers stay loyal to brands that share their values. (Fundera)
Consumers today are savvy and they truly care about engaging with brands who understand them and share their values. Defining your brand’s core values and then sharing them is definitely worth it.
Does having instant brand recognition appeal to you?
FACT: 94% of the world’s population recognizes the Coca-Cola logo (Coca-Cola)
Part of building your brand includes designing the look and feel, or brand identity, of your business. It includes your primary logo, but also secondary logos, a specific color or color palette people can recognize and associate with your brand, and even fonts, patterns and icons. Defining your style and sticking with it helps people know you better and recognize you quicker. Changing up your fonts, colors and even logo too often won’t help your audience get to know you and may present an indecisive brand.
Do you want to have a business that is presented clearly, cohesively and consistently across every single consumer touchpoint?
FACT: Presenting a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%
Developing your entire brand strategy from soup to nuts and then applying it consistently across your business creates what I call: Brand Synergy™ - - - where every piece of communication, messaging and design works together in harmony to present a united brand that people can begin to recognize, trust and fall in love with.
Do you want to know exactly how to position your brand and what it stands for so you can talk about it confidently and easily on repeat with your audience?
FACT: Consistently presented brands are 3.5 times more likely to enjoy excellent brand visibility than those with an inconsistent brand presentation (Demand Metric)
Basically, if your people are aware of you, know what you offer and what you stand for, they are more likely to buy from you.
So, yes, branding is most definitely worth it. It’s worth your time, your energy, your focus, and your investment because the rewards you’ll reap will help you grow your business, creating something from scratch with meaning and impact.
What's involved in developing your brand strategy?
In my course, The Brandpolish Academy, I walk you through:
Developing your positive brand perception & what you want to be known for
Defining your why, the big picture purpose behind your brand
Identifying your audience and getting to know your ideal clients in a way that helps you create emotional connections with them
Positioning your brand to stand out with your unique brilliance: crafting your mission, vision, core values, taglines, story, and more so you can easily talk about what you do and the value you deliver on repeat
Defining your visual brand strategy and style, talking through colors, fonts and more so you can pinpoint a look you can begin being recognized for
Packaging up your expertise into aligned service offerings that resonate with the goals of your best fit clients
Developing your brand voice + personality to communicate effectively with the audience you’re targeting
Creating branded content pillars that help you create consistency with your brand marketing
Plus, I show give you a template to create your own Brand Strategy Guidebook to use as your own reference and to hand over to anyone else who might be working on your brand (think copywriters, designers, photographers, social media managers, team members)
CONTINUED SUCCESS AND CLARITY FROM BRANDPOLISH ACADEMY
Katie, a graduate of The Brandpolish Academy just messaged me this week (a full year after doing the work to develop her brand strategy and messaging for her film production company), and here’s what she said:
“Hi Hilary! Just wanted to pipe in and say we are working as a white label agency under someone else for a project and we were on the discovery call where they passed it off to us with the client. The call started with the agency owner who’s been in business for 15 years talking about who they are and why they are in business…
After the call, Cory [my husband and business partner] said listening to that guy talk made him more thankful we invested in your programs because I can talk about our company so much clearer and more succinctly than that the founder who’s been in business 15 years (not to mention I heard him using some of our catch phrases that didn't land nearly as well as when we use them haha). Anyways, just wanted to say thanks again for all your help and wanted to pass along some praise that isn't just from me!”
If you’re ready to begin developing, defining or refining your brand strategy, get on the waitlist for THE BRANDPOLISH ACADEMY - it’s my step by step program to help you build a clear and cohesive brand with messaging that calls in your dream clients consistently. (Doors are opening soon!)