It's said that strong brand design makes you more money but exactly how can good branding make you more money? I'll tell you right now it's through being memorable, leaving a lasting impression, and building loyalty and trust. You can't make money if people can't even remember your business name. You also can't make money if people don't trust you. A memorable brand brings in revenue by having repeat loyal customers who trust in you and can't get enough of your service or products.
Let's dive in.
Let me say right now that branding won't make you money instantly but over time with a little bit of brand strategy, consistency, and showing up you will reap the benefits. Basically, great branding is all about learning how to stand out from everyone else while always being top of mind. It's going to take people at least seven times to interact with your brand or see your products before actually purchasing from you. A lot of people think that branding is just choosing your colors, your fonts and creating your logo but it's the personality of a business. That personality comes through from the values you have in the business, the vibe you want your customers to see you as and of course the visual design of your business which is your website, your social media graphics, PDFs, posters, etc. In addition to bringing personality to your business branding is also how you stand out from everyone else. It's how you attract the right people to your business. Branding also helps you look professional, find high-quality leads and with a professional look you're able to have higher prices as well.
You might be surprised to realize that branding affects our everyday lives. People for example are a great way to understand branding. If we were to look at a person as thier own brand we make first impressions based on visuals, might sound Judgey but that's just the way it is. If you see someone who hasn't showered in a while, their clothes are tattered, they are visually dirty, they might not smell nice, then you're going to have a completely different expectation of that person than someone who is wearing a suit, wearing nice cologne, their facial hair is clean-shaven. Just by visuals alone, you are already making accusations about a person even if those accusations are incorrect.
Branding is the same for your business that first impression is going to make or break if someone chooses to buy a product or book services with you. Let's go over some real life examples.
1. Poster Design
If you're at the store and you are looking at the bulletin board your eye is going to stop on a poster based on:
The personality of the design and what stands out to you. If you are someone who loves witchcraft and spells, anything a part of that mystical world, a poster that shows those graphics and has that vibe is going to immediately catch your eye. Or if you're really into the minimalist look and you're looking for an interior designer and there's a poster about interior design that has a clean, simple, minimalist feel then that's what's going to catch your eye.
The right graphics will stop the right person in their tracks. If a poster has the right personality that stands out to the target market that you're trying to sell to, whether that's tickets for an event, or take a phone number for your service then that is how branding is going to work for you and make you money.
2. Packaging
If you're looking for a new shampoo then you're going to go through the same process again
The personality of the design and what stands out to you. Which shampoos connect with you? Is it 100% organic brand that uses earthy tones, botanical illustrations, and eco-friendly symbols? Or maybe you're part of the younger, trendier audience who loves vibrant colors, bold fonts, and modern graphics.
The right graphics since your looking for a shampoo versus a conditioner you're going to immediately skim the shelves and look for the wording 'shampoo'. Or maybe you're looking for brands that have 100% organic ingredients, is cruelty-free, or has no fragrances. Good branding makes sure that you're getting the right message across to the right people. If your shampoo does have 100% organic ingredients but it's not labeled on the bottle you're missing out on a lot of potential customers.
Or maybe you're looking for a shampoo in a certain type of physical packaging. Maybe you are trying to purchase less plastic or you want to make sure that the bottle can be recyclable or reused then the physical packaging is going to catch your eye as well.
3. Your Website
The personality of the design and what stands out to you. does it look professional or lazily put together? Is there anything about it that makes it memorable or stand out from all of the other websites that have the same service or sell the same products?
The right graphics let's go back to the example of a photographer's website. You don't want to showcase all of your photographs. You want to showcase the right photographs to your potential clients. If you did a photo shoot on a lake and you hated that photo shoot, then don't post photos of your lake session. You want to make sure that you only include images from photo shoots that you did enjoy. By doing so you're going to attract more of that kind of work. On my website, for example, when it comes to branding design, I'm not going to put every single logo that I ever created in my portfolio I'm going to be intentional about it. I'm going to choose logos that show off my values, logos that are simple, innovative, creative, have a minimal color palette, or there's something unique about it where people say, whoa, that's cool.
A Physical Store Front or Office
Branding is also the overall atmosphere of a small business, a boutique or even a dental office.
The personality of the design and what stands out to you.
The right graphics I took my son to his first dentist appointment at Juneau Pediatrics and one of the reasons I chose Juneau Pediatrics is because I received one of their marketing mailers and they had some really great brand photography and as a brand designer that sold me if I'm gonna be honest. It was immediately filled with youthful colors. And there was even a TV and a little play area for the kids right next to the front desk. By having those little details, it showed me that Juneau Pediatrics caters to a positive experience for both the parents and the children. I completely loved it because there's nothing worse than being in a waiting room and not having anything to entertain your child with. Then when we went into the dental rooms, they had TVs on the ceiling, little toys for my son to play with, bubbles, a windup car, and even a small goodie bag with more little toys. Even the dental chairs were glittery, which probably didn't appeal to my son but for a little girl, I'm sure that they love those sparkly chairs. Even the Disney murals on the wall were very happy and bright.
That's what branding really is, it's about finding the personality of your business and what really humanizes you and putting that into your business so that you can not only provide this wonderful experience for your customers but to stand out and make yourself known and make a name for yourselves.
If you don't have a physical store front that's what your website is for. Your website is the digital storefront for your business. You need to make sure that potential clients are finding what they're looking for whether that's the price for your services, or PDF resources, your phone number can be found easily. It may not seem like it but all of that is part of your branding. Your branding is what's going to make you stick out, it's the difference between having a business and a memorable brand that leaves a lasting impression, builds customer loyalty and trust.
Which in return, will make you more money.
If I inspired you today to think more about branding your company here are some resources for every budget.
Z Squared Studio is a Brand and Web Design Studio based in Juneau, Alaska. Check out www.zsquaredstudio.com for custom brand design, logo design, or web design.
Or sign up for our DIY Brand yourself Mini-Course if you're ready for a stand out, scroll stopping brand without hiring a designer.