Every business has a brand whether it knows it or not. A brand is basically how you want customers to perceive you in the market place as you seek to distinguish yourself from the competition. The businesses that attract the most customers have great brands and often live up to their brand. In other words, if you want to have a strong presence in the market place or dominate the competition, you need a strong brand. So how do you create a strong brand? Here is a quick tip on how to brand your hair braiding salon business, so you can stay above your competition and win big.
What am I selling? Every business sells something. Shocking revelation, right? I know. Yes, every business sells something. While that is true, most people think what a business sells is the product, but that is a far cry from the truth. What a business often sells is not actually the product, but feelings about the product. For example, Apple sells many things, but when you buy an Apple product what you are buying is not the product itself but the feeling their products give you, which is the feeling of innovation. Yes, Apple products are innovative. You know it, I know it, and everyone knows it, and that is a good sign that they had branded themselves very well. And not only are Apple products innovative, their products also give you a smooth usability experience. So what Apple is actually selling is not iPhones and iPads etc. What they are often selling you is innovation and a great usability experience in the computer/cell phone industry. And that is exactly what you get when you buy their products. With that said, the first step to a successful and powerful hair braiding salon branding is to ask yourself what am I selling? Is it comfort? Affordability? Quality? Class? Innovation? Perfect looks? All the above? What ever it is you are selling, your customers have to experience or feel it the moment they find you on the website, walk through the doors of your salon, and leave after experiencing your business. When I set out to open Classy Braids, the branding I targeted was class. As a result, that factored into all my decisions from the name of the business, location, furniture purchase, salon design, web design, and how I treat and approach my customers. It is my hope that every customer who searches for Classy braids, visits Classy Braids and leaves Classy braids will experience class. If a customer does not experience that class as I set out to achieve, I would have failed in my branding.
To conclude, brands matter! Brands separate you from the competition and are powerful enough to give you an edge over your competition. Brands also enable you to create an emotional bond between you and your customers making them to either be strongly attracted to you or to recoil from you. Asking yourself the basic question of “what am I selling?” will enable you to zero in on the perfect brand you want to create for your business. Now that you know how to create a brand, go and create the perfect brand for your hair braiding business.
Comments