A day you don't put effort towards building your brand is a day that you're missing out on sales and building a customer base. Your brand is a tool: the public image through which you portray who you are, what you believe in, and why consumers should choose you over your competitors. Have you started building your brand? Consider these reasons why it's critical to start building your brand now.
1. You're Wasting Time.
Presenting a brand consistently across all of your platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. If you're still waiting for the perfect moment to start building your brand, you're missing out on all the opportunities you could garner by moving forward. Once you do build your brand, you'll have to start sharing it: creating commercials, social posts, and emails that fit those needs. It takes time to build brand recognition. On average, it takes 5 to 7 impressions for consumers to remember a company. If you haven't yet started building your brand, there may be nothing particularly memorable about your business--and you'll have to start from scratch in building those vital impressions.
2. You're Missing Out on Consumers.
Eighty-one percent of consumers indicate that they must trust a brand in order to buy from it. Branding your business helps build that trust. It shows your customers who and what you are. What do you believe in? Do you stand behind your products and deliver a quality experience? If you aren't creating a solid brand, you're missing out on consumers who would come to your business.
3. You Could Be Making a Difference.
Many brands focus, not only on building their own name but on making a difference within communities. TOMS shoes, for example, donates 1/3 of its annual profits to organizations that focus on increasing equality and opportunities, ending poverty, and raising physical safety. The company also donates heavily to mental health organizations. This process increases awareness of the TOMS brand and also helps make an incredible difference in the organizations supported by the initiative. People who support TOMS shoes naturally want to learn more about the organizations they work with, which can make them more likely to donate or to support them in turn. Likewise, you can use your business platform to help generate awareness of important causes or to support your community.
4. You Could Be Making Sales.
Forty-eight percent of consumers note that their first purchase or intention is the ideal time to earn their loyalty. That customer experience is a critical part of your brand. Consumers should have the same experience when buying from your business that they have when interacting with you on social media or viewing your ads. They should also have an experience that shares who your brand is and what you stand behind. Do you have a solid belief in customer service? Do you have a solid product that people can count on? Do you deliver a great overall experience: fast ship times, convenient shopping options, or other features that will appear to your customers? A solid foundation can help you build sales: increasing the customer lifetime value and even bringing in more people as your current customers make recommendations.
5. People Need Your Business.
You started your business because you saw a need in your industry and acted to fill it. As a home improvement business, for example, you may have seen the need for quality work and a trusted name in your community. If you offer medical services, you may have seen a specific need for exactly what you offer, from elective services to physical therapy. You chose your location because it fit your needs and because it offered you an opportunity to fill that gap in your community.
You've also spent years learning about what sets your business apart. You know what makes you different from your competitors. You know why consumers should choose you. Your brand establishes that and helps put you in front of the consumers who need you most.
6. There's No Better Time!
As you've planned to build your brand, you've probably come up with several things you would like to showcase or features that impact your brand. You might, however, have found yourself putting off that important step. You were too busy, or you weren't sure where to start, or maybe you always thought there would be a "better" time.
There's no better time than now to get started! Your brand is a critical part of your business, and you're missing out on opportunities while you wait to start building it. Why not start today?
Are you missing out on the opportunities that come along with building a solid, trusted brand in your community? It's time to stop making excuses and start using your marketing to build your brand and show exactly what you have to offer. Through your branding efforts, you'll discover an increase in customer traffic and value that will help you further build the profits for your business.