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The Ultimate Guide to Brand Image

For entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, there is nothing more important than brand image. You'll probably hear a lot of talk surrounding branding when you first enter the realm of entrepreneurship, and with good reason.

Your brand image is often the difference between success and failure. 

But what exactly does brand image mean? Why is it important? And how do you develop it? 

What is a Brand?

Before considering your brand image, you first have to ask yourself, "what is my brand?"

Your brand is the way you stand out from the competition. There is no truly niche market in the modern world, meaning it is nearly impossible to start a business that is 100% unique and has no crossover with others. 

Your brand is how you ensure that your audience notices you before your competition and that you stand out and are memorable.

What is Brand Image?

So that's your brand. Now, what your brand needs is an image, the way that your prospective customers will see you. 

In simple terms, brand image is what it says on the tin, the idea of your brand. However, it goes much deeper than that. 

Brand image is a pretty all-encompassing term — it relates to your reputation, how your design and marketing is perceived, and whether you are (or will be if you're a new brand) trusted by your potential customer base. 

Brand image covers everything from your brand's name and logo to how you communicate with customers and how users review your services online, and much more. 

Why is Brand Image Important?

Brand image is of the utmost importance because the better your brand image, the more likely people will use your company. The more customers you entice, the more business you generate, and the better things will go. It's that simple.  

The Most Important Parts of a Brand

Brand Identity

While we mentioned your company's name and logo above, those factors fall under brand identity, which is a vital subsection of brand image. Brand identity is the work you do to ensure your audience perceives you in a positive way.

 In a nutshell, brand identity is all the parts of brand image that are entirely under your control. Brand identity covers the following: Your company's name, logo, colour scheme, website design, and the tone of your copywriting. If you want to establish a strong brand image, having a solid grasp of your brand identity is a vital first step. 

Brand Recognition

Having a brand identity is lovely, but it isn't enough. You want to make sure your people are noticing, and more importantly, remembering your brand. Unique digital marketing strategies, catchy slogans, and a name people remember will all help with brand recognition. 

But being recognized is only half the battle — you also need to make sure that recognition is positive. If a potential customer remembers you because your name is catchy and they've seen bad reviews, that will work against you. 

Therefore, you must maintain control over your brand recognition and make sure that people always associate you with positive context.

Brand Trust

Following on from the above, brand trust goes hand in hand with brand recognition. Most parts of your brand image can be controlled by you alone to a certain extent. You can also improve brand identity and brand recognition through creative marketing and solid design work. However, on the other hand, brand trust develops over time and relies heavily on how customers resonate with the service they receive from you. 

Excellent business practice, good communication, swift complaint resolution, and high-quality products that align with fair pricing will help you develop your customers' trust. 

There are numerous ways a customer can review your services online, and most are away from your website or anything else you have editorial control over. When people are talking about you, you need to make sure they're saying nothing but glowing things about your quality of service. The easiest way to do that is to provide consistent, high-quality service.