VISUAL IDENTITY & BRANDING
Visual Identity - 5 Reasons Why You Should Be Using It
The most important reasons why you should invest in a strong brand identity are: By branding your business, you brand yourself automatically as an expert in your field. People tend to respond more favorably to strong personalities and by positioning yourself as an authoritative figure promotes good business, gets more clients, more referrals. It is what differentiates you from the crowd, the things that you can do different and that no one has ever thought of doing. No aspect can be overlooked. Every little thing matters. The way you present yourself, your communication skills, your professional experience, apparel, social connections, awards, interviews – they all act as small bricks to build the complex brand that you represent. Increases credibility – who would you personally trust more? A business with non-existing or, even worse, bad visual materials or a business that is a pioneer in foreseeing your needs as a customer? Your patients should always leave the dental clinic with a number of reliable sources of information: the address of your website, brochures, portfolios, business cards, blog, social media. The importance of word of mouth is inestimable, but imagine the opportunities your patients have to get first hand access to testimonials from your previous patients, to see the results of your work in a portfolio, to read and get informed on the treatments that you want to perform.
No matter if you are the owner of a small business or a large and well established one, visual identity helps you or breaks you in terms of branding. When it comes to promoting your business, you have to have 2 things in mind: first, to brand it properly, no matter if we are talking about business cards, website, blog, social media channels, stationary, print materials, signage, product packaging or apparel and second, to be consistent with the brand.
I always recommend that my clients put some serious thought into what their business is all about, what message it tries to convey and then we plan accordingly. A brand identity is a complex and, in many aspects, ever changing being because it represents the values of your brand while, in the same time, it has to adjust to the reality of the market and the need/desires of your customers.
It is time saving on the long term to use visual identity materials. Helps you to show the commitment to your patients and business, shows your growth over time, increases credibility. Wouldn’t you rather start the branding process today or wait another year or two, when you will find it important, but by then, your business will be left behind by those who seized the opportunity.
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