One of my most FAQ’s is, “How do you know if you need branding?” Does that sound familiar?
I’m guessing you’ve wondered when is the right time to invest in branding services, too.
First things first, if you’re selling something (product, service, yourself, etc), you already have a brand.
Think of your brand as your reputation or how your customers think of you. Branding is the process of giving your business a unique reputation or identity. It also refers to the system of ideas and images that create this unique identity, like your messages, your values, your colors or your logo.
So! Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…
How do you know if you need branding?
The short answer is: It’s never too early/you’re never too small to think about your branding.
Even one person businesses or brand new startups need some visibility, need to build relationships with customers, etc, so you might as well ensure all those efforts you’re doing anyway are “on-brand” or moving you in the right direction.
The long answer is: It depends on a bunch of factors like:
- What are your goals?
- Are you meeting them?
- What are you biggest challenges?
- What’s your budget?
- What’s your revenue?
- Who is your customer?
- Who are your competitors?
You’re probably thinking, “Wow, Liz. ‘It depends’ isn’t helpful at all.”
But before you count me out, here are the four most common reasons to invest in your brand.
1. You want a clear strategy (that you feel confident in).
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, lost or like you just don’t know where to start when it comes to getting your message out there or getting more sales, it’s probably time for some expert branding help!
Most of my clients are GREAT at what they do, but not-so-great at what I do (go figure!). That feeling of uncertainty can be paralyzing. It’s also a huge emotional weight on your shoulders when you’re already trying to do this really hard thing called “being a business owner”.
Great branding gets the ideas out of your head and into a clear plan, giving you the guidance you need to market from the rooftops!
2. You’re not getting the results you want.
Period.
Not getting results might look like:
- Sales that trickle in
- “Profit, what profit?”
- Emails and social posts that float out into the abyss with no response
- Seeing other brands in your space thrive while you’re struggling
If any of those symptoms sound familiar, the fact is: you’re not connecting. Branding is all about finding the sweet spot between you and your customers so that they would never dream of buying from a competitor, and they’re lining up for what you’re offering.
3. You want to level up.
Okay, so maybe you’re doing just fine so far. Kudos to you! If you’ve managed to build a sustainable business without any investment in branding, you’re a badass. Take this moment to pat yourself on the back.
Now stop, and imagine how you could do even better with branding. In fact, it would even be easier to be successful. If you want to:
- Charge more money for your product/service
- Attract more of your ideal customers (you know, the really valuable ones you love)
- Move up-market
- Give your customers a more high-end, polished experience
- Step your game up all-around
…then it’s time to invest in branding.
4. You need to realign.
You’ve changed. It happens. In fact, it’s how businesses survive! But all of those pivots create a big disconnect in your brand. Even if you already have professional branding, if:
- Your message, business model, your audience, or your market have shifted
- You’ve outgrown it
- Things have gotten messy and inconsistent
- You never had a formal system and now you have more people touching the brand
- You’re finding it harder to compete
…then your branding needs to catch up! Investing in branding will help you figure out your new strategy and direction without letting go of any of the valuable goodwill that you already have as a brand.
If any of these four scenarios sound a little too familiar, it’s time to start thinking about investing in your brand.