Is your company’s branding just not doing what it should? Is it failing to make you stand out from the crowd and create a connection with your should-be customers?

Maybe you’re fed up with getting lost in a sea of competitors that just aren’t as good as you? Well, who wouldn’t be!

The truth is that sometimes branding, no matter how well done, just isn’t enough.

But fear not: this doesn’t mean you’ve wasted time on your branding. Quite the opposite.  Branding will always be important and I’ll tell you why a little later on.

Branding gives the best results when combined with marketing efforts. No woman is an island and neither is your company’s branding.

Before we get down to the nitty-gritty and start exploring the power of branding and its relationship with marketing, let’s make sure we have our basics covered.

What is branding?

If you’re a complete newbie to the world of branding and haven’t actually got a clue what I’m talking about, allow me to explain.

What do we mean when we talk about branding? In a nutshell, branding is the act of creating a strong and positive opinion of your company via a unique brand personality, gorgeous design work, and ongoing promotional efforts. 

Implementing your brand can include getting a logo designed, creating a website, living and breathing your mission statement, and even online ads – but branding is so much more. 

If you want to present yourself to new customers in the best light possible, then focus on creating kickass branding. A solid, unique brand is one of the best ways you can attract and convert your ideal customer. 

Remember, setting yourself apart from your competition has never mattered more than it does right now. Coaching businesses are popping up left, right and center across your potential customers’ social media pages, search results, and pretty much everywhere they hang out online. 

But don’t panic; with the right branding, you can send your competitors packing by making it clear why your service is the better option. 

Even if your customers aren’t ready to commit to a sale today, with the right branding and marketing strategy, you can create a lasting impact that will stick in their minds for the next time. Sometimes, you have to play the long game!

4 reasons why branding is important

So, now that you can confidently answer the question ‘what is branding?’ It’s time to get to work understanding just how important it is to the success of your business. Here are 4 reasons to take branding seriously:

1. Branding helps build trust

Nobody wants to do business with a company that seems shady. There’s even math to back it up;  81% of people  saying they don’t want to buy from a brand they don’t fully trust. The numbers don’t lie!

Thankfully, gaining the trust of your customers can be easily achieved through – you guessed it – branding.

The gaining and keeping of your clients’ trust is needed if you are serious about the long-term success of your business. 

Think about it: If you had to choose between a business with clear and effective branding that communicated exactly who they are and how they can help you, or one with nothing to show for itself, who would you choose? It’s not even a question which one you’re going with. 

Why would your customers be any different? Just like you, they want to do business with a brand that appears genuine.

Gaining the trust of your customers is pretty straightforward – tell them early on what they can expect from your business and then deliver on those promises. 

2. Branding increases customer recognition and loyalty

No matter how adventurous or bold we fancy ourselves, there’s no denying that the familiar feels pretty damn good! 

With a show-stopping logo, slogan, packaging, or jingle, you can make your audience  familiar with your brand.

Once customers identify and recongize your brand, they are likely to choose you over your competitors. As long as your service delivers on its promises, good branding will help you win a loyal customer base. They’ll even be excited to see what you’re planning to do next.

3. Branding is great for employees

Branding isn’t just about your customers, it’s for the sake of your employees too.

Having an understanding of the brand they work for gives your employees a sense of identity, a feeling of belonging, and a positive feeling about coming to work every day.

No employee wants to feel like just another cog in the wheel and branding allows you to show them they are seen and appreciated.

Sharing cool company merch such as t-shirts and tote bags is a great way to get started. You’ll soon find yourself with a motivated, productive, and engaged workforce. It’s a win win!

4. Branding promotes shared values

Want to tell your customers what you’re all about? Branding is the perfect opportunity.

When you connect with your customers through shared values, it creates a long-lasting relationship that can span years or even decades. Now, that’s what I call loyalty.

In fact, 83% of millennial shoppers want companies they buy from to share their values while  51% of Gen Zs make sure that a company’s social responsibility is the same as their own before making a purchase.

When you follow through on the promises you make through your brand values, it proves to your audience that you are a person of your word. You’ll soon earn the confidence of your customers and the loyalty that leads to long-term success and growth. 

So why isn’t consistent branding enough?

No matter how awesome it is, your business can’t rely on the strength of its branding alone. You could have a top-notch branding that ticks all the right boxes, but it will never convert if you do not aim your product at the right audience. 

This means you’ve got to figure out who the heck your brand’s audience actually is. They are a specific group of people who have a lot of things in common and are the most likely to be interested in what you’re offering. 

Think of branding as though your company or organization were a real-life human trying to win you over on a first date. Imagine this person telling you who they are, why they’re valuable, and what they specifically have to offer (so romantic!).

When you can answer these questions, you’ll be able to create a branding campaign that appeals to your audience. For you, this is most likely powerful corporate females who are seeking to impart their wisdom to their fellow badass business women. 

At the end of the day, it is impossible to reach everyone at once, so make sure you are aiming your efforts in the right direction. 

How marketing and branding support one another

Marketing and branding go hand in hand but aren’t the same thing. Marketing is how you show-off your brand, products, and services to the public to gain new customers.

It’s important as it lets you show and tell your potential customers the benefits of your service and how it can impact their lives for the better.

Without marketing, your business would not have a voice or a way to communicate with your target audience. Apart from raising awareness for your company, marketing is important because it:  

• Boosts engagement and communication – Engagement marketing is a tactic that uses both in-person and online communications to create helpful interactions. Examples include email marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, and customer services. This type of marketing has many benefits: it increases customer loyalty, provides valuable feedback, and improves the overall customer experience. 
• Increases sales and profits – Marketing is the easiest way to tell potential customers about your service’s main selling points. You’ll be able to explain to them why your product has the edge over competitors, along with inspiring previous customers to return for another round.
• Makes communication personal- Everyone wants to feel special. Personalized marketing lets you target a specific group of people rather than the general public. It’s about reaching the right person with the right message at the right time. Personalization is often the best way to guarantee a sale, which is ultimately the main goal, right?

How do you make the most of your branding & marketing?

A solid marketing strategy is what you need to break through the noise and get your product or service in front of the right audience. However, this is only half the battle. Once you reach your audience, it’s up to your branding to win them over and gain their loyalty. 

Before you begin putting a marketing strategy into action, you’ll want to focus on your branding. This means doing some soul-searching and asking yourself some of the big questions; who am I as a brand, what are my core values and what do I bring to the marketplace?

Put simply, marketing helps you drive initial sales but without clear and effective branding, you won’t be successful for long.

This is because you won’t build a recognizable brand, show the positives of your business and win the trust and loyalty of your customers.

So, now that you understand how important combining branding with a solid marketing plan is (and the many ways it can help your business succeed) it’s time to put it into action! If you want some help in your journey towards becoming a branding superstar – we’d love to help.

Get in touch with our team today to talk about how you can start improving the business processes of your coaching company through the use of effective branding.

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