What is a Brand and Why is Branding Important?

Every successful business has a strong, memorable brand supporting their message because smart business owners and entrepreneurs understand that their brand is this foundation that all of their marketing, products, services, and programs are built on. And without a strong foundation, over time, the empire you’re building will either start to crack and fall apart or you’ll reach a point where you can’t build any higher without fixing your foundation!

To answer the questions, “What is a brand?” and “Why is branding important?” I must share the true goal of a brand:

The primary goal of your brand is to get your prospects, clients, and customers to see you as THE ONLY SOLUTION.

When you become the only solution, your competitors fall out of the picture completely and your marketing and sales become much easier.

With a powerful, passionate, purposeful brand, you will pull your perfect, ideal clients right to you – and you will finally be able to stop chasing them!

When I first start talking about branding with my clients, the first question I get asked is, “What is a brand?” Many mistake a brand for a spiffy logo design and branding as the design of their marketing materials like brochures and websites and business cards. But in truth, the design and visual look of a brand is only a small piece of a brand.

Others, who want to skip branding and move right to developing their website ask me, “Why is branding important?” Usually the purpose or goal of a brand is misinterpreted to be getting your target market to choose you over their competitors and see you as a better choice. But unfortunately that really isn’t accurate.

You are the engineer of your brand. Just as an engineer must always start with immaculate plans, you must always start with a well defined brand

When you invest time into building and defining your brand, and you lay a solid foundation for all of your marketing and communications, you will gain a complete understanding of where your business is now, where you want to take it, and why you will be able to achieve your goals. This alone will increase your confidence in your brand and make your business introductions and commercials more effective and it will make your marketing presentations more effective.

Branding is important in defining your target market and niche as well.

Just as an engineer must understand every tiny nuance with the land, environment, materials, and plans he or she is using, to truly succeed in business branding, it is critical that you understand every nuance of the wants and needs of your prospects, clients, and customers. Your brand is the whole of their experiences with you and perceptions about you. Your true brand is what lies in the minds and the hearts of your audience.

Only after you have done the work to define your brand, create your message, develop your own unique compelling story, and understand your target market, can you begin on designing your visual brand.

Your logo, business cards, website, and other marketing materials are the last step in the branding process.

I know it’s hard because as a new entrepreneur, you are so excited about your business that all you want to do is get out there fast, help people, and make money following our passions. So you skip the brand development work and jump straight to working with a designer to design your logo and marketing materials.

But here’s the problem… when you don’t take the time to develop your brand, it is going to be a lot harder to get where you want to go, because your marketing materials won ‘t be doing the heavy listing for you. They may look pretty, but there isn’t going to be a strategy or clear, concise message behind them.

When I work with my Elite clients – even those with established businesses  – on increasing brand visibility and growing their business, we start with branding. We evaluate what already exists, identify what needs to be worked on, and we get work.

Your brand is the cornerstone of your success… Do you really understand yours inside and out?

In week three of my Online Marketing Acceleration Bootcamp, I be walking you through the branding process step-by-step in a 90 minute training session, and I’ll be answering all of your questions about your own brand in a 60 minute Q&A session. Plus, you’ll get several worksheets to help you accelerate the process.

I’ll share with you tips, techniques, and strategies to create a brand that will stick in the minds of your target market and keep you top of mind, including how to craft “commercials” that make people want to learn more. We’ll talk about your offers and packages, and how to market them with emotion. And, we’ll discuss how design effects the success of a brand.

After week three of my Online Marketing Acceleration Bootcamp:

• You will have a powerful commercial for your business
• You will be able to powerfully communicate your own unique story
• You will understand your target market like never before!

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, but you’re tired of the hypey calls with big upsells and you just want someone to show you what to do and how to do it in a clear, easy to understand format – my Online Marketing Acceleration Bootcamp is for you!

Register by July 27 and participate in the Bootcamp for only $199! That’s not only a $50 savings, but it is exactly what you need to transform your business for less than a day at the spa or a trip to a major league ball game!

I hope you’ll join me!