In the
physical world, people walk around their immediate neighborhood and get to know
the stores. Before they ever make the
decision to buy, they can usually tell you what’s great about a store, what’s
bad, what makes it unique, what makes it boring, what they would buy there, what
they would never buy there, and so forth.
Whether or
not these stores are even aware of branding, they have naturally created an
identity. And people learn this identity
almost by osmosis; by simply wandering around browsing the shops.
Branding is
not as clear a topic as some would have you believe. The type we’re talking about here is the
deliberate type of branding you have to invest in for your online business (and
if yours is a local business, every word applies to you, too – if you want to
attract and retain new customers).
Branding is
nothing more than creating a strong identity – so strong that when people think
of the item or service that is your signature offering, they think of you. Not your competitor.
No, I mean…
literally. The word comes to us courtesy of cattle wranglers of the old West.
Their herds roamed over thousands of acres, none of which was initially fenced.
They had to have some definitive way to tell which cow or bull belonged to
which ranch. So they heated irons in the
fire and literally seared a distinctive mark – a logo, if you like – onto the
animal’s hide.
While you
certainly don’t want to be running around with hot irons, you want your brand
seared into your ideal customer’s mind just as irrevocably.
But here’s
where many people get it wrong: They
confuse personal branding with business branding.
Both can be
used for business purposes, but it’s important to know which type you’re creating
and why that particular type of branding is going to work best for you.
Let’s take a
look at the differences…
This is what
you need when you are your business: “You” meaning the particular skills or
qualities you bring to the table – things your ideal client or customer
needs.
Personal
branding is not just about what you have to offer people, however. It’s also
about your strong, unique voice.
Your “voice”
is what makes you different; what makes you stand out from the rest of the
professional in your field. And make no mistake – the majority of them are
highly proficient at what they do.
That’s the base line – the starting gate.
So how do
you “get” voice? There’s no one answer,
and no right answer… but it comes from knowing, clearly and passionately:
·
Who you are
·
What you believe
·
What you stand for
·
What your core values are
·
Why you are doing what you do
·
What you can bring to your
customers
Still not
clear? Just look at the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Even if you were born less than two decades
ago, you can probably recognize a “Stones” song or a Beatles song instantly.
Not just because of the words, either; but because of the distinctive vocal
styling, the combination of instruments and beats – the character that these two bands have developed that vaulted them far
above the thousands of brilliantly proficient session musicians rising and
falling all around them.
Most of these session musicians are actually many, many times more accomplished as musicians than either the Stones or the Beatles. It’s just that these two bands had a voice – one that connected with their audience and spoke to their needs, dreams, preferences and feelings on a highly empathetic level of connection.
That’s what
you need to develop, if you want be the one person with your particular skills,
or offering your particular services that people instinctively seek out first.
And you
won’t get it by being a clone of the Stones or a clone of the Beatles, to
continue our music metaphor.
You don’t
want to be a top-notch tribute band, either. That’s not how the Beatles became
the most revered band of all time.
You want to
be original. You want people to either
love you or hate you. That’s what you’re
after.
But here’s the scariest part…
Personal branding is being yourself!
Try to fake
it, and you’ll fall flat. People can
tell when someone has ulterior motives.
You need to
be yourself. After all, you’ve had to do a lot of soul-searching, growing and
introspection to get there. (If you don’t know who you are and what you’re all
about, your followers won’t either.)
Sure, a lot
of people will come up to your gate, get to see you for real and veer
away: But that’s good. It means your time won’t be taken up with
hordes of people who will never love what you do and always want maximum
attention.
Save
yourself for those who love everything you do.
When you’ve captured an audience like that, you know you’ve achieved
personal branding.
You know
you’ve achieved a following of repeat customers who trust and believe in you -
the sort who will return to buy, again and again… because it’s you.
Just as
personal branding is all about personality, business branding is all about perceived value. For example, you want
to have two sneaker companies – let’s say one is Adidas and the other is an
unknown company called Stompers. Imagine both are for sale. Imagine both have
equal numbers of assets, shares, property, customers and so forth.
Now imagine Stompers
makes better sneakers – miles better.
Which
company is going to sell for more?
That’s
right: Adidas. Because it’s a brand
name. Everyone knows Adidas.
When you
create a business brand, you create it around what you produce. If you produce
physical goods, you base your brand on your goods. The key lies in creating a
signature product so powerful, people start to call similar products by your
brand name, as if your brand name was the generic name for the product. (Think “Pepsi” instead of “cola.”)
At the
highest level, similar brands will compete ferociously against each other,
trying to steal each other’s customers.
(Think “Pepsi” versus “Coke.”)
Often, there’s just a hairsbreadth of difference between rival
products. So what creates brand loyalty,
when this is the case?
In personal branding, creating loyalty is
based on three key factors:
1)
Your personality – how much
your followers like and identify with you (or want to be you)
2)
How consistent your are in their field of vision
3)
How consistently you deliver what you promised
In business branding, customer loyalty is
based on slightly more criteria, including:
1)
Visual elements – Logos,
graphics, colors, shapes, symbols
2)
Textual elements – Name,
tagline or slogan
3)
Personalization – Think
“Coca-Cola polar bear” or (if you’re old enough) Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef”
But why are
these three factors important? What do
these bells and whistles actually do?
They help
customer not only to remember you,
but to think of your product first
when it’s time for a refill or replacement.
The stronger
the identifier, the more recognizable and memorable your brand becomes. (If you changed your logo every week, you’d
create confusion and a weakening of recognition.)
The one
common denominator that both personal and business branding share? Trust.
Customers
have to believe that your brand is the best; or at least suits them, their
needs, their budget and their lifestyle better.
When trying
to brand a business, it’s advisable to expend all your advertising and
promotion efforts mostly on one element
alone. For example:
·
Branding your logo
·
Branding your company name
·
Branding your icon
·
Branding your tagline
·
Branding your colors
(One way to brand colors:
Always display them within the same shapes.)
All this
would be in aid of branding either your company… or a signature product.
Successful
personal and business branding share certain core characteristics. Becoming
known and instantly recognizable is just the first step. Next comes building the
brand – this is even more important than promotion, and it’s a step too often
skipped.
Promote your
brand without rock-solid core characteristics in place, and you’ll fail
miserably. This is what you need:
·
Consistency
·
Visibility
·
Recognizability
·
A place in public consciousness
·
A promise based on values
·
Fulfillment of that promise
Concentrate
on delivering in all of these areas, combine it with tangible elements such as
logo and colors, and your business will be well on its way to becoming a
household name.
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