Find Out What's The Difference Between Brand vs. Business And What You Need Now

Are you buying this cup of pour over coffee because it’s really worth $6? I mean, it’s pretty much just coffee plus hot water. How about the last time you spent more than $10 on a t-shirt?

If we were all just buying things out of necessity, we would almost always go for the cheapest option.

If you somehow have the secret sauce to be the cheapest guy on the block, then no, you probably don’t need a brand. But if you’re interested in building trust and loyalty, and growing your tribe and referrals? Build a brand.

Still wondering if you got your branding down? Click here to access the band strategy checklist.

Here are the key differences between brand vs. business -

Create Experiences NOT Products or Services

Think beyond your products and services. You’re in the business to provide an experience to your people. From the instance they first saw you, online or offline, to following you online, visiting your website, seeing your emails and posts, getting in touch with you, to finally buying from you, receiving your offers, then continue following you along before the next time they come back again or telling a friend about you.

Think through what client experience you’re providing now and how you can continuously improve this experience for your people and creating more touch points with them.

A brand is crafted with a well-thought out experience.

Sell Emotions NOT Features

It doesn’t matter what we are buying, there are tons of choices everywhere. Features like faster, more customized, or more choices used to sell when there were only 2 ovens available, 3 florists around the area, and 5 restaurants. But selling features like average businesses doesn’t work anymore in the world we’re in, because there’s definitely someone else who also sells the same features.

Instead, build emotional connection, and give people the chance to how you can transform how they feel about themselves, their surroundings, and how they identify themselves. Run a dessert shop that make people feel joy and nostalgic, provide photos that make people feel loved and the essence of time, create websites that make people assured and confident… the possibilities are endless.

Find your people, your niche, and find out what and how they want to feel with your offer. (Click here to read about The 3-Step Formula to Identify Your Niche.) Then help them feel that through the content you share day after day, even before they become customers.

A brand makes people feel.

Commit to Frequencies NOT Eyeballs

Are you giving people reasons to come to you? How about reasons for people to come back again and again? And even tell a friend about you?

Average businesses want publicity, and they want to be on the first search page when people google generic terms. But if someone needs a job done now and is searching for “interior designer in San Francisco”, they are going to be price shoppers. You are a stranger they found on the internet. They haven’t built a connection you, there’s no trust, they don’t know you, and they don’t feel particularly fond of you (let’s be real, it’s true).

A brand invests in showing up first for its people, then maybe publicity and SEO later.

Own the goal to add value everyday through the work you do. Give people the chance to get to know you, share your beliefs, say yes to your offer and join you on your journey forward. 

Set a schedule and create a system on how you show up (i.e. blog posts, social media, emails, podcasts, etc.) Show up consistently and whole-heartedly to nurture relationships, trust, and loyalty over time. Turn your audience into loyal clients and raving fans who tell other people about you!

A brand is playing the long game by committing consistently.

A brand is something people miss if it’s gone.

A brand is built through nurturing, serving, and adding value to people, day after day, post after post, email after email, video after video. A brand is built through effective content marketing.

Now, ask this - “Will people miss me if I were gone?”

Stop thinking small. Stop thinking that you’re just running a business and survival is good enough. Think big, create a brand people are in love with and come back for over and over again. Build a brand worth remarks, a.k.a. -- a remarkable brand.

Still deciding if Content Marketing is right for your business? Here’s a quick way to find out.

Want to know how to create content that people are actually interested and helps build marketing momentum? Click here to read more. 

Don’t forget to grab your seat at our FREE training, so you know how to grow your profitable brand people love AND a loyal customer community who keep buying from you!