Why Branding Matters: Debunking Common Myths for Small Business Owners
As a business owner, you have probably heard about branding. There is also a pretty strong chance you decided it was something you weren’t going to deal with for one reason or another. I can understand that being a business owner myself, I know there is a lot on your plate and branding doesn’t seem like the most important thing. But I’m here to tell you that although it might not be the most important, it can be essential to helping you grow!
I’m going to address some popular “reasons” as to why business owners don’t bother with branding.
My customers don’t care
I’m not going to beat around the bush, your customers DO care. Otherwise, you wouldn’t worry about providing excellent service! Your brand IS your business, it is the reputation, the perception others have of your business, and how it makes people feel. Have you ever had someone recommend a restaurant that included a disclaimer? “It kinda looks sketchy, but the food is amazing!” or “The service is awful, but the food is awesome” is confusing branding. That shop owner would likely much prefer that folks say, “It’s a cute and cozy space, the food is amazing and the service is awesome!”
Branding is so much more than just a logo, it is an essential part of growing and establishing a business. It is a plan that influences how customers feel about your business, whether they should trust you, what to expect from your products and services, and drives your customer's perception of the business.
The visual aspect of your brand is something that can have just as much impact on which clients choose you!
I’ll worry about it when I’m bigger
True, you can, but you are also going to be missing out on all the great things a good visual brand can bring you! Effective branding helps bring the right clients through the doors and establishes a long-lasting impression and relationship by guiding marketing, advertising, and all customer interaction points.
It’s not as important as accounting
You are right, it’s not! The government won’t be coming after you for having an ugly logo and inconsistent branding. But what you are likely to find is that when you DO have a well-designed logo and brand plan, you are likely going to have much more accounting to do because of the customers you’ll bring in.
Visual branding helps influence how people feel about your business at first sight. Here are a few more extreme examples:
Are you a luxury brand? Well, then your logo likely shouldn’t resemble a Chuck E. Cheese. That would send the wrong message and bring you the wrong customers. Your messaging is also likely not going to be about fun and games but instead quality and status.
Are you a health food provider? A logo that directly competes with Hotpockets and Coca-Cola will put you in front of the wrong audience.
Although this only scratches the surface I hope this has helped you gain a little insight into some of the benefits of focusing on your brand early in your business’ lifetime.
Shameless plug
At Humanarium, I'll work with you to build a stronger business starting with the basics; logos, colors, fonts, and a basic visual brand guide. But we can also explore business goals and positioning to develop an effective brand strategy that will help position you where you want to be in the market. All of this while also teaching you best practices and what things to consider when making branding choices so you can begin to spot good vs bad brand choices on your own! Are you interested in working together? Let’s Chat!
