What Is a Brand?

If you look it up, you’ll find something along the lines of a name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products, but it’s so much more than that. A brand is yours. It’s your story. It’s your logo. It’s your foundation. It’s the feeling your customers get when they walk through your doors. It’s the personality; cornerstone of your business.

Why Do You Need One?

Let’s not beat around the bush here… there are treatment facilities across country doing the exact same thing you’re doing – at least, that’s the way it seems on the surface. In order to stick out from the crowd, you need to have a clear and strong brand. You need to let your customers know what makes you different. You need to let families and friends know why they should trust you with the care of their loved ones.

Sounds Good in Theory, but How Do You Do This?

These first steps are by far the hardest. You will need to answer the difficult questions and define the intangible.

Step 1: Define Your Values

How to build a brand - puzzle pieces fit together This comes first on the list because it is the most important step in building a great brand. Nailing down your values early on will help you develop a strong mission statement and company culture. Remember, this is not an elevator pitch, this is your story. You aren’t selling anything at this point. You are just starting the conversation. This is your chance to tell customers who you are, what you do, and why it matters.

Who are you? What is your story?
What are your beliefs, your convictions, your principles? Why?
What drives you? Why do you do what you do?

Step 2: Understand Your Customers

The relationship you have with your customers will determine the success of your organization. Gaining a firm understanding of who they are and what they want will help you better serve them.

How do your customers perceive you?
How do you want customers to perceive you?
What are your customers’ needs?

Step 3: Determine Where You Fit in the Big Picture

Finding your position in the market is crucial to your success. Remember – you cannot be everything and you cannot do everything, so pick what

you do best and explore that niche.

Who is your competition?
What makes you stand out from the crowd?
Do you offer a service that your competitors don’t?

Take some time to answer these questions. In our next blog post, we will cover the next step in the process: creating an authentic value proposition.

The First 3 Steps to Building a Great Brand