Why It’s Important to Brand Your Service Business Perfectly

Branding is one of the first things you need to think about when starting up your service business. Think about it this way, your brand is who you are. It is how people see you and what makes you stand out from your competitors, if you get this essential step wrong, then nothing else you do along the way will matter. If you get the branding right, your service will be able to sell itself.

There is the common misconception that brand is only beneficial for big businesses that have big reputations and even bigger budgets. Don’t make this mistake. After all, even these ‘big businesses’ had to start somewhere. Think of it this way – it’s clear that these big businesses are doing something right when it comes to branding. Instead of placing yourself out of their league, try and learn from them instead. If they can make it, why can’t you?

What is Branding?

Before we even get into the details of why branding is so important for your business, we need to look at exactly what branding is. It’s a lot more than putting together some colours and symbols into a pretty design. Your branding should reflect who you are as a business and represent your values.

Here are some of the key things your branding should reflect:

• Your identity i.e. who you are
• Your values i.e. what you believe in and,
• Your perceived identity i.e. what you want your customers to think about you

As a service business, trust and word of mouth is a huge part of winning over your new customers. You need to project yourself as the solution to your target audience.

So the first question to ask yourself is – does your branding project an image of trust? The name you choose for your company is how you will become known in the industry and how customers will recognise you. This is part of the branding process. In fact, the most successful brands in the world today have become synonymous with the service or products they offer. For instance, people will usually search for iPads and Scotch Tape instead of searching for tablets and adhesive tape respectively.

What the Numbers Say About Branding

Branding experts estimate that at least 33 percent of all consumers have a particular brand in mind when they go shopping. Statistics show that approximately 59 percent of people prefer buying new products from brands they’re familiar with. Data also reveals that it takes approximately five to seven brand impressions before people start remembering a specific brand, but only about 10 seconds for people to form their first impressions about a brand.

These numbers alone are enough to show just how important branding is for your business. When you are starting up, it is too easy to get sidetracked with the day-to-day tasks that go into managing a business, and one of two things happen:

• Branding gets pushed aside on the priority list as something you can come back to (which you inevitably never do).
• Branding gets rushed in order to get your business up and running as quickly as possible.
  

Why is Branding so Important for your Business?

So now we understand exactly what branding in, here is why it is so important for your service business:

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• Branding Your Business Makes It Easy to Recognise

If you want to distinguish your company from the competition, you will need a brand. A brand makes a company easy to recognise with your company’s logo being  one of the most important elements of your brand identity. You want something that is both memorable, stands out even when it’s small, and represents your business and what you are about. If customers are able to recognise your logo, it will generate many more leads for your business.

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• Enhance Your Business Value and its Prospects with a Memorable Brand Name

It’s all in the name! Well, maybe not all, but it is a very important part of any business. Choosing a name should not be taken lightly, and it is something you should consult with others on before making a decision. It is really hard to change your name down the track and will make things much more difficult for you.

Let’s look at an example:

If you are a cleaner offering your services to both businesses and individuals then the name ‘Domestic Goddess’, while catchy, would actually hold you back. Why? Because domestic is a household terms, which means businesses will overlook you and your services and assume you don’t cater to them. This is why choosing a name that reflects who you are is important – and hard!

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• A Good Brand Can Be Easier to Trust

People trust brands. If your choice is between a company who looks professional, has a name, logo, and effort has been made into showing who they are and what they do, or another business that is lacking in these areas, but has the same services on offer – who would you choose? Your customers are the same. They want someone they can trust, and branding portrays a degree of professionalism, which makes you stand out.

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• Branding Your Business Well Can Make Your Business Easier to Advertise

Any marketing strategy will utilise your brand identity to increase awareness levels among your target audience. A strong brand makes it easier to advertise and promote using various advertising mediums. Look back at the statistics: “it takes approximately five to seven brand impressions before people start remembering a specific brand.” If you have poor branding, it is going to take far more impressions for your customers to remember you and cost you plenty more in the process.

Looking For Help?

Marketing your business is the most important way to generate leads. As a small business owner, it can be hard to know where to start.

If it is all feeling too much and you aren’t sure how to brand your business effectively, get some help. Just like you would ask a plumber to fix your toilet, an IT professional to fix your computer, or a doctor to help when you are sick, reaching out to a skilled professional in the industry can save you time and money and ensure you do it right the first time.

So, don’t let your business drift. Contact the team at Follow the Leads for an effective and targeted strategy that has the customers knocking on your door. Call (02) 8325 7569 now to take your service business to the next level.

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