So you think you have a strong brand? But how do you know you’ve chosen the right one? And more importantly, how do you know it’s working? A key factor that answers these questions is brand resonance. But what is brand resonance?
Brand resonance is how well your clients or customers relate to your brand. That includes their awareness of your brand and their perception of your brand’s value. Ultimately, brand resonance defines how people feel about your brand, which determines how much of a connection they want to make with you.
Here are six ways on how to measure brand resonance with your ideal customer. A few of them may surprise you!
You’re a Little Uncomfortable
Fear of focus is one of the top reasons for failure in business. Especially in the beginning, it’s perfectly natural to feel your branding focus or position might ’box you in.’ Focusing your efforts on a particular customer, market, or area can be frightening.
But the truth is, you can’t be all things to all people. Those who remain undefined and never take the chance to stand out will get lost in the crowd. If you choose your brand carefully, you can become the most recognizable brand in your market and niche and attract more than enough ideal customers to provide for the rest of your professional career.
You’re Getting Noticed
A unique brand will differentiate you from other businesses doing the same thing. You’ll know it’s resonating when people comment directly on your branding, marketing, and advertising.
Most will be positive and make you feel really great about your progress. However, some people may share negative or snide remarks, most of which come from other similar businesses. Frankly, that should make you giddy with excitement. It lets you know you’re not only getting noticed but also hitting a nerve with your competitors.
You Lose Some Customers
This one caught your attention, didn’t it? Let’s be clear about this topic. A well-defined brand is designed to dramatically increase the business you’re most suited for and decrease the least desirable and/or least profitable business to you.
Remember that the customers you don’t want to work with are just as important as those you want. As stated above, you can’t be all things to all people. Focusing your efforts defines you more clearly to your ideal customer, and what you lose on one end, you will more than gain on the other. This allows the cream to rise to the top of your customer base. Less effort, less waste — more satisfaction, more profit.
People Mention Your Tagline
People will begin to recognize you and even mention your brand identifier or tagline. Not only should a great brand display authenticity and credibility, but it should also be fun.
Fun and humor are great ways to build connections with customers and help them remember your brand better. They say, “Laughter is the best medicine.” A fun tagline helps you become more memorable and creates good feelings toward your brand.
So don’t hesitate to have fun with it yourself. A little humorous self-deprecation is a great way to connect and bond with your customers. And above all, you’ll be remembered.
People Ask For Specific Advice
When you become known for your defined specialty, you will receive calls, emails, and messages asking for your advice on your expertise.
The ultimate purpose of a great brand is to be seen as an authority in your chosen niche. The words ‘chosen niche’ are very important. People aren’t just calling you about any coaching or consulting topic — they’re calling to ask for your guidance on specific areas in which you specialize.
That’s an obvious indicator that your brand is resonating. In fact, it’s fantastic for the purpose of referrals. Your customers can confidently say, “Yes, I know someone who specializes in that!”
Most of Your Customers Are Ideal
Your goal is to determine and develop a brand that will resonate with your ideal customer. If your brand is consistently displayed and passionately executed, those ideal customers will grow to make up a higher percentage of your customer base. If your ideal customer makes up at least 65% of your base, your brand should be highly successful.
The Takeaway
Brand resonance is critical to the success of your business because it determines how much effort your customers are willing to make a connection with you. When your brand resonates with your ideal customers, they like and trust you. Your brand resonates with them when they understand who you are and how they feel about you. These brand feelings will motivate your ideal customers to do business with you and become loyal customers with whom you will have long-lasting relationships.
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BrandFace® is a personal branding firm for entrepreneurs and experts who want to STAND OUT from their competition and attract their ideal customers so they can become recognized and sought after authorities in their space. Tonya Eberhart & Michael Carr are the partners behind BrandFace. Their mantra is, “People don’t do business with a logo. They do business with a person.”