The biggest reason why Business Coaches are wrong and your branding is your most important asset

How many people have told you recently that your branding doesn't matter and it's more about your product/service quality than a logo? A tonne of business coaches out there are spouting this kind of rubbish without really understanding what they're saying. They will tell you it's all about harnessing your selling power and will try and sell you the shirt off of your own back.

Sit back and pause for a minute – the car you drive, I bet you could tell me without even hesitating what the brand name is. What about your phone? Apple or Samsung, or you can narrow it down to the branded product brand name: iPhone or Android? Or the clothes you're wearing, hell even your underwear has a brand. My point is that your brand is so much more potent than what you can sell – it is the thing that your customers remember. It is your identification in this world – what sets you apart from your competitors.

A big misconception I find is that people think that your brand is a logo, nothing more – which is precisely where these business coaches get it wrong. Your brand is the way people feel about you. Yes, it involves a logo that communicates who you are and what you do, but there are a myriad of things to consider. While your logo will be at the forefront of your branding, other aspects you need to consider are the voice that you need to speak to your customers with, the visual language you use – nailing the style of your product photography. There is also your website the central hub for communicating with your customers; this extends to your social platforms. Then there are your physical printed items such as your business cards, gift certificates, thank you slips all of the printed bits and pieces need to cohesively work together and scream that it came from your business. 

So where do you start? That age-old adage of first impressions counting is more important than people care to admit. In a time of digital media is king, capturing people's attention is of the utmost importance and creating yourself a powerful brand to speak to your customers is your best asset in doing this. Let's start with your brand feeling; this involves creating what we design folk like to call a mood board. A mood board is a collection of words, images and colours that are all related to your brand. It tells your story in the space of an A3 page. It is a great tool to pair with the customer avatar you create when you're planning your business; this is the how-to sell to your who. 

From there, your designer will take your mood board and get their creative juices swirling around your new logo concepts. I like to give my clients up to 3 ideas in the initial stages – this isn't to say those concepts are final, but any more than that is overwhelming them with too many choices. Then it's final tweaks in colours, fonts and layout until you are happy with your new identity representation. Your logo needs to shout your personality from the rooftops – it is one of the first things that your customers will use to recognise who you are as a brand. A great designer will issue you with all of the different file types you're going to need – this includes across print and digital mediums. You will also need variations in terms of black, white and possible a secondary layout where your primary logo doesn't quite work. For example, if you have a very horizontal logo for your website and as your primary logo, a secondary stacked version may work better for your Facebook avatar or a watermark on your social posts.

Once you have the beautiful new face of your business, it's time to set it to work. Your designer will have a head full of ideas on how to use your colours effectively, how to choose beautiful font pairings that compliment your logo and they can create all of the branded bits and bobs you require. If you're product-based, I recommend you let your designer have a crack at your business cards, your product ticketing and packaging, gift cards, and letterheads. If you're a cafe or a restaurant you want your designer to create an exquisite menu for you and loyalty cards for your customers. Then there's the look and feel for your marketing, website, social media platforms and emails – I will cover this beast in another post soon. You want all of this to be a cohesive suite of materials working together to communicate with your customer. The stronger your brand elements work together, the better your communication will be.

A great designer will come up with a manual for you on how to use and implement your new branded. This manual is your bible! It will have a clear set of instructions on how to use your logo for maximum impact across your marketing. It will have a complete break down of your colours, fonts, imagery style for photographers, how your brand identity rolls out across your stationery and social media. This guide can also include your writing style in how you communicate with your customers – for more information contact Forelocks & Fleece – she's an absolute genius with words. Following this brand bible will help you to create a powerful brand that with consistency and cohesion will stick in your customer's mind. You want to be the first business they think about when they are pondering a purchase in your chosen niche. 

I know that the initial cost of brand identity design may come as a shock. If you look at the industry, it starts with a basic package starting around $3000 anywhere up to $1,280,000,000 (I am not kidding, that was also USD – check out the ten most expensive brand designs here). Consider this an investment in your brand's future. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into creating a brand identity. Conducting market research, so the designer understands where your brand is positioning itself compared to your competitors. Then the creation of the actual logo and brand guidelines – logos can be incredibly strategic, intricate and sometimes tricky to create. Designers can spend hours on end trying to nail the correct colour combinations and font pairings or even hand made illustrative elements to represent your business. You're also paying for strategic decisions; your designer is the gatekeeper to their head full of design and brand positioning knowledge. Hence, they know how to get the best ideas created for your small business.

Please, if there's anything you take away from this before you buy into your business coaches' throwaway statement – consider your brand as the most crucial business decision you will make. It's like giving a baby a name – you put love and care into that decision, your small business is just as important. Give it the time, love and attention it deserves with a striking brand implementation. Contact me to see how I can help your small business stick into the minds of your customers better than a catchy earworm – "Because I like Aeroplane Jelly, Aeroplane jelly for meeeeeeee!"