A brand is a visual expression of who you are, what you offer, and what your clients can expect from you. It is a blueprint of your client experience. It will season conversations about you and your company, and it must be an authentic representation of who you are. Your brand can instantly communicate what you stand for, the value your offer, and how you are different from your competition.
I get excited when I see agents embracing brand development because the power of a good brand is limitless. On some level, agents know their branding can do the marketing for them when they are not there, but they often don’t know where to begin.
In general, I find that agents have a difficult time creating a cohesive brand without an experienced design professional on their side. Successful brands have memory markers, tell a story, and indicate a business style to a potential buyer or seller. It is memorable and graphically cohesive. It is well-balanced and enticing.
At its core, a brand expresses the emotional or psychological relationship you have with your clients. It’s not something concrete – it’s the experience that a client can expect when they interact with you. A good brand reflects your personality.
Having your own brand allows you to have your own “marketing voice”, that speaks loud and clear about your commitment, your values, and your unique character. It identifies you as entrepreneur who is serious about their business.
Strictly speaking, logos, “name treatments”, or other visual images are not brands, but they are representations of brands. Think of them as a shortcut to your brand, one that allows clients to immediately tap in to the positive feelings they’ll experience when they work with you.
Here’s one of the best reasons to have a brand: it allows you to accelerate the cycle of business with potential clients. Your brand allows you to quickly build trust with clients – and you’ll find that clients will gravitate to you based on the core values and emotional impact that resonates from your brand. Your brand also makes you memorable, helping you to stand out from the crowd.
How do you know if you’re ready for branding? Branding is for you if you need to:
- Differentiate yourself in your market place.
- Take your competition out of the equation.
- Gain focus on your core values.
- Shorten the time it takes to build trust with clients.
- Leverage your opportunities.
- Start marketing yourself, not just the company you work with.
If these solutions match the problems you’re facing in your business, it’s time to develop your business brand.
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