The Definition of Branding

A brand is something you must define yourself. If you don’t, it simply doesn’t exist. Generally speaking, a brand can be the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that collectively lead to a consumer’s decision to choose one produce/service over another.

TLDR? Your brand is why a customer chose you (Option B) over competitors (Option A).

Of course, the brand is about more than just closing a sale. It’s about earning loyalty with your customers, so it’s a good idea to pay attention and understand why your best customers chose you over every other option available.

It’s never going to be what you offer because you’re not the only one who offers it. No… branding is about making sure that prospects and leads form an opinion about you.

In fact, not every prospect will choose you. Maybe they hated your brand, and that means you’re doing it right because you made them feel something. For whatever reason your brand is hated, it is equally likely to be loved by another demographic.

It might sound scary to have a brand so bold that it doesn’t care about turning off potential customers in order to turn on others, but the worst kind of brand ever is a forgettable one that doesn’t make you feel anything at all.

Find Your Own Voice

Forgettable brands copycat others—usually those who are actually successful because they are unique. They are the original. (When copycatted, they are always better than the cloned version.)

Ask why you do what you do, and whom you do it for. Know who your competitors are and determine what sets you apart. You don’t have to be better than other options, just different.

Know your audience too! What do they care about? What keeps them up at night? What are some hot buttons you can push to ignite emotion? How can you make sure your audience will not only remember you, but they will also talk about you with their peers?