3 REASONS TO BUILD A BRAND NOT JUST A BUSINESS

If you’re curious why you should create a brand that sets you apart from the competition and has dream clients flocking to your door, keep reading…

Because like it or not, your brand is the anchor clients cling to, and without it there’s a void that won’t make them stay.

So? Let’s make sure you’re building a brand and not just a business.

Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to clarify what we mean by ‘Brand’.

A Brand, as seen through the eyes of your clients, is made up of two parts:

1. The tangible experience they have when they interact with your business – things like your logo, fonts, colours, language, tone, messaging, imagery, design etc.
2. The intangible ‘human’ experience of how you and your business make them feel, and this is grounded in things like your vision, mission, values, client care, delivery etc.

Okay, so now I’m gonna give you 3 reasons to build a brand and not just a business:

INSTANT RECOGNITION

You know that feeling you get when you see one of your best friends across a crowded room…

In that moment of recognition, a subconscious flood of memories and emotions bubbles through you, puts an instant smile on your face, and propels you toward them.

That is the power of instant recognition when it’s tied to emotional memory – and that is what your brand can evoke every time someone sees a social media post, video, advertisement or blog from you.

Your brand has the power to flood your clients with positive emotions and propel them to buy from you.

Powerful right? And this leads on to the next reason to build a brand…

MOVES HEARTS AND MINDS

Remember the first time you saw the Andrex Puppy in an ad on the telly?

Unless you’re made of steel, I bet your heart melted a little, an ‘aaaaahhhhhh’ escaped your lips, and you felt a rush of love and happiness.

That’s emotional connection right there – and it’s what creates an attachment that goes far deeper than simple features, like 4 Ply Quilted Lavender Scented Softness…

When a brand moves us to feel a positive emotion, that emotion becomes aligned with the brand itself – meaning that all future interactions with the brand will automatically arouse a positive emotion.

On top of that – humans are driven by feelings and emotions make up a HUGE part of our buying decisions.

So, if you want clients to buy from you with ease – your brand needs to make that emotional connection right from the start.

And this leads us nicely onto the next reason to build a brand…

INSPIRES A MOVEMENT

In the summer of 1987, Nike said ‘Just Do It’, and with that an entire movement was born…literally.

That phrase sums up their mission as a business and to this day inspires generations of people to get up off the sofa and get their bodies moving.

It was a Call To Arms, sharing a vision of what could be possible for us if we subscribed to their mission and just did it.

The message is so positive and clear, we as consumers go a step further and incorporate it into our lives, becoming aligned with the movement and thereby aligned (albeit even subconsciously) to the brand itself!

When your brand is built on a very solid Vision and Mission, and every element of your brand is anchored there, it inspires a sense of purpose in your audience – compelling them to take action.

So, if you want your audience to align themselves with you – inspire a movement with your vision and mission.

In case you’re wondering, a business with no brand is the flipside of the tantalising coin I’ve just shared with you, ie:

• No differentiation so blends in with the rest
• Leaves audience feeling nothing / cold / unpleasant
• Has no real sense of value
• Doesn’t align with customers
• Doesn’t automatically generate sales

Essentially it has no soul.

There are a multitude of other reasons why building a brand is way more powerful than simply creating a business, but I’ve shared my Top 3 favourites with you here today.

Brand is such a key influencer, especially in the crowded online service space, it’s absolutely crucial that you invest the time and energy understanding who you are as a brand, what sets you apart, and why anyone should care!

A brand built around your Mission, Vision and Values will ALWAYS resonate with people who align with you, so it’s the first step in my online business builder programme The Align & Shine Online Academy.

This 4-month mastermind is where I guide purpose-driven female soulpreneurs to build solid foundations for their online businesses that are in complete alignment with who they are.

My ethos is grounded in using simple and organic marketing methods that create sustainable and scaleable businesses.

If you’d like to learn more about The Align & Shine Online Academy, click here for full details and to apply.

I hope you’ve found this article useful. Feel free to share it with your social media community to show them that building a brand is important to you and help them move hearts and minds too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sally Oddy has a business and marketing career spanning over 20 years and brings huge passion, creativity and courage to everything she does.

Empowering women to step into their true potential and turn their passion for coaching into a purpose-driven business is what Sally does inside The Align & Shine Online Academy.

This is a powerfully transformational and highly supported coaching experience where you will be guided to build rock solid foundations for your coaching business and gain the skills and strategies to massively increase your impact and income.

Click here to find out more about The Academy and apply