I could talk about branding all day. I feel pretty confident in saying that branding is a vital element of your business. A brand is what your audience associates with your business. I talk more about the importance of branding here. But so often, branding gets mistaken for something related – but totally different! (I’ll talk about this in a bit!) So what does branding mean and how can your business benefit from having it?

Let’s first talk about what branding doesn’t mean.

What branding does not mean

Branding is so often associated with the term logo. Yes, a logo is part of your brand, but it’s not what the term brand truly means. So what is a logo?

A logo is considered a building block of your brand, not the brand itself. While highly important in itself, a logo – like other facets of a brand – should be clear, consistent and memorable for your audience. Together, a logo, business name, communication, and visuals (like colors and fonts) create a brand.

Now let’s unpack what branding actually means.

 

Branding: the basics

Let’s talk facts real quick. Branding that is consistent across all platforms is said to increase business revenue by 23%. That’s amazing and SO easy to achieve – IF you know what branding means and how to use it effectively in your business.

What does branding mean?

Perception

A brand exists in the minds of your customers. It is the impression or the perception your audience has of your company. This perception is often based on their interaction with the brand. These interactions send messages, further establishing your brand effectiveness. So it’s important to make your brand memorable.

Emotion

It’s critical to manage these perceptions and establish an emotional connection that your audience can easily link to your business. This is key to creating a strong brand. How many times have we heard that people make decisions based on emotions?  Humans are ruled by emotions, so it’s no surprise that branding is intertwined with these feelings.

We, humans, tend to choose the way something makes us feel. This means we choose to buy from the person or business whose brand evoked a certain emotion from us. Sound familiar? When working on your brand, always keep in mind how you want your audience to feel about your brand. This is so important for your business going forward!

Trust

Your brand should be built upon and incite trust. This goes hand in hand with how your audience feels towards your business. You obviously want potential clients to trust you. Make sure your brand emulates a positive perception or association with your business so that you evoke trust with your audience.

Brand Voice

Now, let’s tie perception, emotion and trust together and wrap it into your business brand. A business brand needs a voice to communicate, right? This is just another intricate component to branding. Your voice should directly relate to your brand’s message. Not only do these messages build trust and empathy with your audience, but they provide a consistent tone and personality that your audience can rely upon and identify with easily.

 

Conclusion

Now, if I had to summarize what branding means in one sentence, it would read like this:

A clear and concise message that establishes a strong and memorable connection with your audience conveying a trustworthy and reliable brand.

This is absolutely key to nailing your brand right from the start.

Interested in talking about your branding? Sign up for a free Discovery Call with me or have a look at my brand design services here. I would love to help you create a memorable and clear brand for your business!