Your Business Is NOT Your Brand

One of these things is NOT like the other

Of late, locally there’s been a lot of talk about what it means to provide a service in a fast-paced world, but with an undertone of not understanding what a brand is and how it differs from a business. And while these two are soulmates, they’re also two very different beings.

What Is A Business?

A business is the products and services you provide. It’s what your purchasing public knows you do. Characteristically, businesses are only concerned with making money. It seldom matters who you are once you’re paying.

Products business and services-based businesses are not the same. For example, although in one sense, creating a product and selling it can be considered a service, it isn’t the same as selling a transformation that hinges on your time to produce.

What are you selling?

WHAT IS A BRAND?

A brand is the emotional connection your purchasing public has with your products or services. That connection is birthed from the experience they can expect to receive every single time they interact with your business. 95% of buying is an emotional decision, remember? So characteristically, brands are only concerned with making promises that certain people care about, and keeping them.

That said, whether it’s conducted online, through social media, or from a brick-and-mortar establishment, it’s impossible to sell successfully without a brand first influencing the feelings of the buyer. Conversely, you can’t establish a brand without evidence of first successfully selling your products or services.

So ‘the first step’ for an established business who wants to sell their services online is that there is no first step, because you’ve already made the first step by successfully selling your products or services. Your second step would be establishing the brand.

What’s your purchasing public’s gut feeling about your business?

WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW “The Single Most Important Thing You Need To Communicate About Your Brand”

While chatting with a group member of mine she admitted (after listing all the things she does well) that if “we sat and I asked her what she wanted her website to say, what is it she wanted to bring across more than anything? It really js difficult to put into words.” And that's a justified feeling.

I learned a while ago that straightforward questions aren't always the best way to get certain answers. So I'll never ask a client a question like "What's the single most important thing you need to communicate about your brand?" I mean, she already had problems thinking product businesses and service-based businesses were the same, that being on social media meant she was online, plus branding itself confused her; she didn't need me adding to it with a question like that.

If you’re like my group member, when you sit down to put words to the feelings your purchasing public’s have about your business, you probably come up with stuff like:

“They think I have vision, strategy, and ambition.”

“They believe in filling your own cup, too.”

“They see me as going above and beyond to move the country forward.”

"I'm just what they are looking for."

Or the worst (at least in my opinion): “They find me so resourceful.”

Even if you don’t know how to differentiate yourself from the generic or otherwise boring same-same lingo online, it doesn’t mean it's impossible to achieve. But it does mean if you don't strive to establish a brand filled with real meaning, people will do it for you, and you won’t like what they come up with.

For e.g., I agree we weren’t put on this planet to be robots, but I find it tone-deaf that a company thinks on my deathbed, working remotely or doing our podcast on the other side of the planet is what I’ll be reflecting on.

HOW TO COME UP WITH A MESSAGE THAT MAKES THE CUSTOMERS WANT TO STOP?

First of all, saying I design shoes for men or in other words, specializing, that alone doesn’t comprise a brand. You also got to flip that feeling your clients get from your special services into a voice they actually hear

In practice, this looks like my client Gretchen: We do handjobs™ clearly says “I’m not one of those multi-colored laminated business cards that say “nails or hair by Keisha”. Her ideal customers easily connect with her voice because they speak that way too!

Secondly, how often you show up isn’t as important as what you talk about and how it aligns with your brand. Too many local business owners focus on frequency of their posts and how large their community is instead of the key messages that shape the perception of their brand.

If your business have done well growing its community over the years, you’re doing something right…right? Well, I’m willing to bet if you looked harder at what you’re posting instead of how often you post, you’ll find the topics that contributed to that growth.

The reason I'm saying this? I know by experience clients seldom know where the answers are; where they need to double down etc so...

1. Pay attention to things you specifically deal with when executing your services with clients

2. Search the internet for the spaces those topics fall under

3. Put emphasis on context if authenticity is what you truly seek

If you're having a hard time breaking into language that’s unique you're fearful of niching.

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I am a visual brand strategist and owner of The BrandTUB **To be the next Cru Nonpareil, schedule a call lets see if you're a fit. **Get online in one day with The One-Page Project™ **Sign up to receive these weekly articles in your inbox if you’re not quite ready to work with me yet.

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