To fully appreciate the effect a strong brand identity can have on attracting clients and, effectively, our business's topline, we must first define what a brand is. As Marty Neumeier puts it, “Branding is a person's gut feeling about a product, service, or organization.” Chris Do further elaborates, “If enough people share a gut feeling you have a brand.” From a consumer standpoint, a brand is effectively a person's psychological perspective and feeling towards your business. But why should this matter at all?

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The Psychological Influence of Branding
Whether we like it or not, when forming a decision, feelings play a key role in finalizing our choice. The emotional side of the brain is the driving force behind the feelings we form towards a brand. It is by far the most influential driver towards finalizing our decisions—essentially, it’s a gut feeling. The job of your company's brand identity is to connect with that very gut feeling.
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Components of a Strong Brand
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What makes up a brand, exactly? There is no one defining characteristic. Think of it as everything your brand projects onto the consumer. This includes:
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Quality of Service or Product: Your offerings must meet or exceed customer expectations. Brand Story: The narrative you create around your brand. Visual Identity: Logos, imagery, typography, and more. These elements collectively contribute to your customer's overall perception of your brand.
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Ensuring Accurate Representation
As business owners, how do we ensure our brand is accurately represented and aligns with our ideal client? One crucial aspect is maintaining a strong online presence, which serves as the face of your business. Consider this: your website is often the first representation of your brand that potential clients encounter. It's your consumer's first (and possibly last) opportunity to form an opinion and hopefully a connection towards your brand.
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The Importance of Online Presence
Statistics underscore the importance of a strong online presence:

First impressions matter immensely.


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Building Trust Through Consistent Branding

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So, your perfect client has viewed your website for the first time and consumed most of your site's content. Are they now a loyal customer? Not so fast. Successful business owner and author Daniel Priestley states that, on average, a consumer will take in around 7 hours of your brand content before forming a feeling of trust towards your brand. Whether it's your website, social media, or marketing campaigns, your brand must maintain a strong and consistent identity that aligns with your clients.
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The Tangible and Intangible Effects of Branding
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What does all of this mean for your business, and how does it directly translate to improving your company's topline? Let’s first delve into both the tangible and less tangible effects a strong brand identity can have on your business.
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Intangible Effects: A strong and clear brand identity allows you to connect with your client on a much deeper level, creating a psychological attachment. How does your brand make them feel? Is it relatable? Do your values align with those of your potential client? Are you part of their tribe?
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For example, I once bought a pair of £200 wireless earbuds after watching a marketing video of a man running freely up a mountain(stick with me). Despite living in an urban city with no mountains in sight, the love of outdoors and the thought of freely running across beautiful landscapes resonated with me deeply, aligning with my own character. Using clever and well thought out branding and marketing, this brand was able to charge a premium for earbuds and convince me into a sale. Branding effectively drives sales and wins loyal customers if orchestrated and delivered well.
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Tangible Effects: Increased Sales; A strong brand can lead to higher conversion rates. Customer Loyalty; Consistent branding fosters trust and repeat business. Market Differentiation; A unique brand identity sets you apart from competitors.
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Conclusion
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In conclusion, a strong brand identity is paramount for connecting with your target audience and improving your company's topline. By understanding and influencing the psychological aspects of branding, maintaining a strong online presence, and ensuring consistent representation across all platforms, you can create a powerful brand that resonates deeply with your clients and drives business success.