If you want your business to succeed, especially as a beginner here in Nigeria, branding is very important
Without a good Branding, You’ll not make any MONEY (except you’re focusing on salary which without personal branding ‘of character’, you cannot also sustain).
Building a brand from the ground that stands out is not an easy task.
What should it look like? How should it make people feel? Will it resonate with my target audience?
These are questions that inevitably come up when you start thinking about how to connect the dots between what you’re selling and who you’re trying to reach.
Whether you’ve got nothing but a business idea or want to pivot your existing brand, here’s what you need to know about building a strong brand identity for your business.
Building a brand from the scratch which will stand out among equals is not a pot of beans.
However, people are building fresh brands everyday and making money from it; so if it’s working for them, why not you?
That is the next question that I have for you: WHY NOT YOU???
I’ll save you that stress and answer the question: IT IS BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO SELL WHAT YOU HAVE;
And the secret to selling what you have is gaining mastery over BRANDING!
So, what exactly should a good BRAND look like?
How should a good BRAND make people feel?
And if you build a powerful BRAND Will it resonate with your target audience? If no, what should you do to change all of that?
In branding and marketing, there are two major things you need to focus on:
What are you trying to sell?
Who are you trying to sell it to (or reach your message with).
It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out with zero idea and very low on capital, all you need is just a viable BUSINESS IDEA and mastery over BRAND DEVELOPMENT; let’s assume you also have an existing business that is currently disgracing you like an old TIGER GENERATOR, all you need to fix all of the above is to build a brand or tweak your existing BRAND IDENTITY.
So, what exactly is BRANDING?
In a layman’s terms:
Branding is simply the act of creating the processes that compels people to perceive you in a specific way whenever they interact with your business
That means that the brand you build is your power to make people to see you in a very specific way —both the impressions you can control and the ones you can’t.
As against popular belief, brand isn’t just a recognizable name, distinct colour/s and logo that distinguishes you in a crowded market… No! It runs far deeper than that.
Branding is the creative, strategic process of telling potential customers what your company is all about: who you are, what you care about, why they should work with you and what they can expect from you. After you’ve started a business or created your first product, building a brand identity should be your number one priority.
Branding is what your business needs to break through and grab your ideal customer’s attention. It’s what transforms first-time buyers into lifetime customers and turns an indifferent audience into brand evangelists. It’s what you need to stand out, make an impact and take your business to the next level.
Branding is how you design and build your brand online through websites, apps, social media, video and more. Branding consists of a combination of digital marketing and internet branding to develop a brand online.
The Values Branding Gives to your Business
- Brand awareness
Brand awareness refers to how familiar the general public and your target audience is with your brand. High brand awareness leads to brands being referred to as “trending,” “buzzworthy, or “popular.” Brand awareness is important because consumers can’t consider purchasing from your brand if they’re not aware of it.
2. Brand identity
Brand identity is the personality of your business and the promise you make to your customers. It’s what you want your customers to walk away with after they interact with your brand. Your brand identity is typically comprised of your values, how you communicate your product or service, and what you want people to feel when they interact with it.
3. Brand management
Brand management refers to the process of creating and maintaining your brand. It includes managing the tangible elements of your brand (style guide, packaging, color palette) and the intangible elements (how it’s perceived by your target audience and customer base). Your brand is a living, breathing asset, and it should be managed as such.
4. Brand extension
Brand extensions are when companies “extend” their brand to develop new products in new industries and markets. Consider Honda lawn mowers or Martha Stewart bedding. Brand extensions allow companies (or individuals) to leverage brand awareness and equity to create more revenue streams and diversify product lines.
How do you know if your brand is strong enough to give you the internal and external value that you need? Start by asking yourself the following:
Does the brand relate to my target audience? Will they instantly “get it” without too much thought?
Does the brand share the uniqueness of what I am offering and why it’s important?
Does the brand reflect the promise made to my target audience and hold value for my internal audience?
Does the brand reflect the values that I want to represent to my customers?
Let these questions serve as a guideline in the development of your brand. If you’re not sure about the answers then you may want to revamp your branding efforts.
If you’re seeing this, that means you read to the end of this very article. Please let me know at the comment session if you got value.
Thanks!
