5 Reasons Branding is Important for Your Local Business

 Prior to the digital age, branding was one of the most important pieces in a local business’s marketing tool box. It was the way business owners drilled their company’s name into the minds of consumers. It was the foundation for their advertising. Back then, a company’s branding was tantamount to their image - and it was fiercely protected.

But since the dawn of the internet, with social media feeds constantly scrolling by and online advertising targeted with pinpoint accuracy, many business owners – especially local business owners – have become ambivalent when it comes to building and maintaining a strong brand.

If you fall into this category, where branding is not a priority in your business, you’re making a big mistake. Branding, in general, is still extremely important, but it’s crucial for local companies. Here are five reasons you shouldn’t skip out on building a strong brand for your business.

 When you started your business, I'll bet your motivation was more than just making money. If you started a remodeling firm, you probably loved the process of remaking a space into something beautiful. Your autobody shop probably grew out of your love of working on cars. And your yoga studio developed from your desire to share the benefits of yoga with others.

These are the perfect sentiments to convey in your branding. Think about it - if your customers think you're just out to get their money, they won’t be keen to work with you. But if you express your underlying motivations, your love for what you do, in your brand, then your customers will pick up on it too. Consumers want to feel good about how they’re spending their money. And if your brand gives them the message that you  love what you do, they’ll feel good about spending their money with you.

Once you’ve built a brand that communicates your company’s inspiration, you’ll begin engaging with new customers. But branding doesn’t stop with attracting customers directly. It’s just as important for attracting referral customers.

A strong brand will resonate with your existing customers and that will be their basis for spreading the word to their friends, family, and hopefully even to their social media following. They’ll remember your company’s image, maybe they’ll describe your logo or mention your tag line. They might even describe the design of your website and its customer-friendly layout. Most of all, they’ll remember the feeling they had while doing business with you. All these small things that tie in to creating your brand will lend themselves to building an excellent referral network of customers.

Don’t forget – Consumers spend a  lot of time online these days. And online reviews are an important aspect of your brand. Reviews reflect how your current customers feel about your company and this is conveyed to prospective customers. Most of your potential customers will check your online reviews before deciding to do business with you. A strong brand message can ensure consistent and positive reviews.

 If there’s one thing consumers are looking for in their local business relationships, it's trust. And sadly, it's hard to come by nowadays. It seems there are new businesses cropping up on every block, only to be closed in a few months. This makes it incredibly hard for consumers to feel a strong sense of loyalty and trust.

A fatal mistake many of these new businesses are making is the failure to build a strong brand right from the start. Your brand relays an unspoken promise to your customers. It says, “We’re here, we cared enough to build a strong foundation, and we’ll treat you right.” It’s not just about logos and color schemes – although that's part of it. More than anything else, your brand is a collection of tangible (marketing material, a website) and non-tangible (your inspiration, your values) aspects that tell customers, “This is who we are.” When consumers are confident in who you are, you’ve inspired them with a sense of trust.

Strong branding will give you a jump on your competition.

A business without strong, consistent branding generally does not inspire trust and may leave its customers leery of referring others. Obviously, that’s not good when you’re trying to run a successful business. But worse, a company without a real brand is easy to ignore. Even if you’re providing great service, your lack of a solid brand message may be the reason your satisfied customers keep forgetting to tell others about their experience.

When you have a great brand behind you and your competition doesn’t, you’re already positioned to gain more customers and stay fresh in their minds long after your  services are done.

This concept is often missed by business owners, but it’s a very real thing. The same part of your brand that inspires and delights your customers can also motivate your employees!

Imagine working for a company with no clear vision, no organized procedures or processes, or no real foundation. It would probably be hard to get motivated, right? In fact, you may not even see the point of working hard and doing your best, since there’s no clear goal for everyone.

But with a strong brand in place you’re not just telling your customers, you’re also telling your staff, “This is what we’re all about.” Your brand reinforces your company’s values and is a sort of unwritten rule book that tells your team how to carry themselves and how to serve your customers.

These are only a few reasons branding is so essential for every business, and especially local businesses. If you’re not sure how to get started on building a brand, check out some of the free resources available to you online, or consider hiring a professional to walk you through the process.

Done right, your branding can transform your company from a run-of-the-mill local business to a pillar of excellence and trust in your community.

Looking to beef up your online marketing and get your brand out there for the community to see? Check us out at Locallogy – we’re experts at local internet marketing.