What does it mean to be branded?

It’s not always the easiest thing to understand branding. There are a lot of different definitions that can end up confusing. But the bottom line is that you need to brand your business and you know that. You just aren’t sure what that means or where to start.

If you’ve ever tried to brand your business and got stuck after 5 minutes of trying to figure out what that means, this is for you.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

what it means to brand your business
the 4 pieces of your brand
how a strong brand can help you grow your business

Branding your business

What it means to brand your business

The term brand and branding is thrown around a lot in the online space and I don’t blame you if you don’t really know what it means.

Heck, even as a brand strategist and designer I can get confused from time to time after hearing so many definitions of it. But the bottom line is that you need to brand your business.

I think you probably already know that, you just don’t know how.

Branding your business means to establish the overall identity of your business.

Your brand is what your audience thinks about your brand. It’s how you are known. It’s how they perceive your brand. You don’t have direct control over this, but you control it indirectly through the specific elements of your brand.

The 4 pieces that go into a brand

Here’s a breakdown of what it means to brand your business and what actually goes into it:

1. Your brand strategy is the foundation of your brand. This is what serves as the base for everything in your brand and how you attempt to control your audience’s perception.

2. Your brand identity is the visual component of your brand. It’s what is seen on the surface level and what helps draw people into your brand story and message (which comes from your strategy). It’s the first impression that people see that gives them that initial idea of what your brand is all about.

3. Your website seems obvious, but there’s more to it than you think. It’s the centerpiece of your marketing and what essentially bridges the gap between your brand strategy/identity and your marketing. It’s the one place on the internet that you own and control.

4. Your brand marketing is how you gain visibility for your brand. Your marketing is how you communicate your message through branded visuals and copy.

It takes each of these individual elements to build a brand.

So the next time you hear someone talking about your branding, you now know it’s not just the logo or the strategy, it’s EVERYTHING together and how it combines to mold the perception and connection of your audience. One piece by itself can’t do the job.

This is why it’s important to build a strategic and intentional brand as a whole. You need it all to work together to truly brand your business.

How a strong brand can help you grow your business

A powerful and purposeful brand is one of your biggest investments and assets as a business owner. Your brand is essentially your business and shows exactly who you are as a business to reach those ideal clients.

Having a well thought out and well-designed brand can help you grow your business by reaching those dream clients and customers, growing a genuinely connected community, and ultimately increasing your revenue and profits.

A strong brand will help you take things to the next level by making your business look professional, tell your unique story, and create a specific look and feel for your business. Your audience will recognize your brand and connect with it on a more personal level when you have a well-established brand.

Among other things, branding:

Increases recognition of your business
Builds a loyal audience
Supports your marketing and advertising
Creates trust in your industry
Distinguishes you from competitors

You can’t build a successful business without it.

Recap

It’s proven that a strong and authentic brand can help your business grow and thrive. By establishing who you are as a brand, you will bring clarity to your business and for your target market which will only help your business to move forward with intention and power.

Next Steps

Are you ready to be more intentional with your brand and take your business to the next level? Book a clarity call to figure out the best next step in building your brand.