We all have to start somewhere. As a new business owner, you can sometimes feel that pinch of “I need to get experience, but I need the experience to get clients.” That catch-22 makes it hard to get your new business up and running.

Branding may be the missing link to promoting yourself more effectively. You need to look the part before people accept you in the role.

As much as new businesses complain about the difficulties of landing new business, they’re adding to their pain by not investing in their own branding systems.

Consider these two scenarios:

Business A has a professionally designed website full of content, and their proposals come as well-formatted, branded documents.

Business B has an amateur-feeling website with generic clipart, and their proposal is a poorly typeset Word file.

Which company is more established? You can’t tell from the given information, but you will trust the well-branded business more. Branding is a series of small decisions that work together to create a consistent look for your company and set the foundation for building a reputation that says, “I’m for real.”

In marketing, “know me, like me, trust me” is a critical sequence of events many buyers go through before deciding to work with you. If you don’t have a consistent brand, it’s difficult to become a known and liked entity. If you look like you decided on a whim to hang out your shingle, it’s hard to trust you.

Consistent branding, developed by a professional designer, can do wonders for how established you look to your clients. Being established means the ability to demand higher prices, seek larger projects, and work with other larger and more established entities.

An example of how good branding creates credibility for your business

For a new business, good branding is crucial in establishing credibility and gaining the trust of potential customers. A well-defined brand can differentiate a new business from its competitors and help it stand out in a crowded market. 

For example, a new fitness studio, EmpowerFit could establish a brand centered around creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, with messaging and imagery that showcases diversity and body positivity. By establishing a clear brand identity, the studio can create a loyal following of customers who identify with and appreciate its values. This, in turn, can lead to positive word-of-mouth marketing and increased credibility within the community.

Case study of a fitness studio: A journey to inclusivity and positivity 

Imagine EmpowerFit, a hypothetical fitness studio, that provides a powerful example of how good branding creates credibility and a loyal customer base. At its core, EmpowerFit’s brand is all about inclusivity, diversity, and body positivity. It’s a brand that aims to break the stereotypes of the fitness industry and provide a welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of their body size, age, or fitness level.

Brand positioning

EmpowerFit has strategically positioned itself as a fitness studio for “Every Body.” Their slogan, “Fitness for Every Body,” is a catchy phrase and a powerful embodiment of their core values. This positioning directly speaks to those who have felt left out of traditional fitness spaces and creates a unique niche within the competitive fitness industry.

Visual identity

A key aspect of EmpowerFit’s branding strategy involves its visual identity. The studio uses imagery representing all body types, ages, and ethnicities, breaking away from the stereotypical fitness imagery that only showcases slim and muscular bodies. The studio’s color palette is also unique, combining warm, inviting hues that make the brand more approachable.

Inclusive language

EmpowerFit’s branding isn’t limited to its visual identity. Their messaging focuses on inclusivity and body positivity. From the website content to social media posts, the language used by EmpowerFit avoids fitness jargon that might feel exclusionary. Instead, it focuses on motivational, empowering phrases that encourage self-love and acceptance. This consistent use of language fosters a sense of community and inclusion, boosting the brand’s credibility.

Community engagement

Lastly, EmpowerFit’s brand-building strategy includes community engagement. They conduct regular events, both online and offline, focusing on health, self-love, and body positivity. These events often feature success stories from their diverse client base, emphasizing the studio’s inclusive approach. They also take an active role in supporting local community events, which provides them visibility and establishes them as a community-driven brand.

Results

Through its distinctive branding strategy, EmpowerFit has carved out a unique identity within the crowded fitness industry. Their commitment to showcasing diversity and promoting body positivity has attracted a diverse client base and generated a lot of positive word-of-mouth marketing. The studio’s authenticity and unwavering dedication to its brand values have established EmpowerFit as a credible, trusted name in the industry, proving that good branding is critical to creating business credibility.

Final thoughts

Good branding can be the key to success for a new business, helping it to establish itself as a trustworthy and credible player in its industry.
If you want more impact from your branding, start Branding Compass for free.

Branding Compass can help you review your competitors

Branding Compass will guide you through listing and reviewing your competitors. You’ll have one place where you can look at them together and review your most important differentiators.

Start Branding Compass for free.