Branding means different things to different people. Yes, your branding is your logo, colors, and fonts, but these are only pieces of your branding. Branding goes much deeper.

What you offer and how you market your offerings is a large part of your brand. You can establish your business as distinctive and different by marketing to your strengths and uniqueness.

Branding is also how you treat your customers. How you treat your customers and what they have to say about their experience with your business is a critical piece of your brand.

What defines your brand?

With so many pieces being a distinct part of your brand, what can define your brand? One piece that helps define your brand is your mission statement. This tells you and your customers what your brand stands for.

What your customers think about your brand and what they tell others about your brand is critical. Your customers take your message and share your brand with other potential customers. Knowing this can help you craft your brand towards a specific target market.

Why is building your brand so important?

With over one billion websites online and seemingly endless pages of Google search results, your competitors are out there. How do you stand out?

By defining your purpose, crafting your message, and focusing on your customers, you can differentiate your business,

Communicate who you are with stories. A story about why you’re in business. What drove you to start your business? Tell why you are different from others in your field. Tell readers how your business is unique and distinct. This type of messaging will attract the customers you want to work with.

You are not your competition

Know why and how you are different from your competition. Research your competitors’ offerings and communicate what is unique about you and your services with distinction, relevance, and value.

Make a list of three benefits that your customers get when working with you that they may not get when working with your competitors. Use that list to share your uniqueness.

By working on and evaluating your brand, you will get better engagement with potential customers.