The complete breakdown for branding in service-based businesses (with free guide)
Branding in service industry means a stranger will see your brand and turn into a client. At least that’s what most people believe.
Well, that’s not how it works.
Imagine this: You’re scrolling on a dating app trying to find the perfect match. Would you choose a profile that has a typical shirtless pic for their profile picture and a basic description:
Hey! I work in finance, 6’5’’, blue eyes.
Or would you choose a profile that has an appealing profile picture, maybe a picture with their pet. Plus, a quirky yet friendly bio with common interests:
Music lover, sunset chaser, and hopeless romantic seeking my perfect match.
I know I would go for the second option and so would you. But why? Because they seem relatable and at the same time have partner potential.
A stranger must feel the same way to choose your brand. They need to see the real you but at the same time how you can help them.
You can achieve this by creating a brand that speaks to them. One that's relatable and shows them the potential benefits of working together.
But the problem is creating such a brand can take let alone months, years. This is why many companies invest 10 -20% of their marketing budget in branding.
However, worry not. In this blog, I will uncover strategies that will help you create an authentic yet customer centric brand easily.
Understanding branding in service-based businesses
Branding in service based businesses has a magnetic effect on people. But that’s only possible when you’ve got it right.
I’m not talking about following the trends or fitting with the algorithm. The concept of branding is way beyond that.
Let’s take a deep dive into it before starting the actual process.
What is branding and positioning?
Branding and positioning are two sides of the same coin. You can’t brand without positioning.
Think of it like this: Your brand is the "who" and "why" of your business. In contrast, your position is the "how" you stand out in the market. These two elements work together to create a compelling story.
Branding, on the one hand, represents your business's overall personality and message. It focuses more on emotions and visual identity. Branding in the service sector includes:
Values: What are the core principles that guide you?
Target Audience: Who are you trying to help? What are their needs and challenges?
Mission and Vision: What problem do you solve, and where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Visual identity: Your brand colors, logo, and website design. Some companies even take it to their office environment.
On the other hand, positioning is how you stand out from your competition. This is what makes your client choose you over others. It’s about defining your unique value proposition and communicating it effectively. Positioning is done right when it showcases:
Competitive advantage: What makes your services unique as compared to your competitors?
Benefit-driven message: Don't just list services; focus on the results you've driven. What is one benefit you deliver that others can't?
Clarity and consistency: Conveying your uniqueness to the audience through marketing material.
What is the significance of a branded service?
By all means, there’s nothing wrong with being non branded. Generic and ordinary service businesses also get clients.
But the catch is, do you wanna work with any client or your ideal client?
Because if you want to work with your ideal client, you can’t be generic.
A branded service helps you embrace your uniqueness. You present to the world what makes you look good and feel good. It creates a vibe around your business that attracts your tribe.
This makes branding in the service sector a winning formula. It elevates your offering beyond just a technical skill set. Giving your client a reason to invest in you.
But that's not all; here are more reasons why branded services matter:
Differentiation: Good branding showcases your uniqueness, quirks, approaches, and cultures. Helping you stand out in a sea of service-based businesses.
Trust and Credibility: No number of testimonials is suitable if your brand image is nonexistent. A defined brand image represents professionalism and expertise. Making clients trust you and feel comfortable in choosing you.
Emotional Connection: Branding goes beyond functionality. It's not just what you do but how you make them feel. Only if your audience can connect with you emotionally will they consider you. It's all about nurturing your relationship.
Now, let's look at Amazon as a prime example (pun intended).
Customer-centric approach: Amazon is focused on keeping its customers happy. This indicates to the users that they're cared for. Making them return for more. And yes, it's all part of their branding.
"The Everything Store": A constant message from Amazon is that they're ‘The Everything Store’. This convenience factor sets them apart from competitors.
Value and innovation: Think of same-day deliveries, Prime memberships, and Amazon web services. These are all innovative solutions for the customers. Keeping Amazon at the forefront of the industry.
Imagine if Amazon had not invested in branding. It definitely wouldn't be where it is today..
My Step-by-Step Guide to Branding in Service Sectors
Now that you understand the concept of branding, you probably wanna hop on this branding journey to craft your unique service brand.
The whole process starts by looking inwards instead of outwards. Now, what do I mean by this?
Most people look for branding inspiration from the outside world. You may hop on pinterest or check out aesthetic brands on Instagram. But, we need to dive deeper, why are these brands aesthetic. Not because they use the right colour combos but because they have a unique touch.
And this unique touch comes from within. You need to look inside to truly understand your brand. Then you can get started with the brand strategy.
Step One: Brand Strategy
Let me get this straight, what you want with your client isn’t a superficial bond but a deep relationship. And the biggest secret to such connections is understanding each other.
Thus, your brand strategy is all about understanding yourself and your clients. It includes elements like:
Who you are: Core values, mission, and vision
What you offer: Unique value proposition
Who you serve: Target audience
A brand strategy is the big mastermind plan behind branding in service business. It decides everything from the look of the brand to how it communicates. But it is way more than your vision, mission and values.
What you want with your client isn’t a superficial bond but a deep relationship. And the biggest secret to such connections is understanding each other.
Thus, your brand strategy is all about understanding yourself and your clients. It includes elements like:
Who you are: Core values, mission, and vision
What you offer: Unique value proposition
Who you serve: Target audience
Developing this creates a foundation to build on. It comes in handy in all your branding decisions. This ensures consistency across all sectors from visual identity to customer experience.
Related Post: How to approach brand strategy with a new perspective for your small business
Developing a Brand Strategy
Let me explain how to create a brand strategy with an example. Maia Elizabeth was one of my clients looking for some branding help. She is a nutritionist who blends her therapy experience with a love for tasty food. Here’s how I created a strategy for her:
First, Unearthing the Brand’s Foundation:
As mentioned earlier, we started with looking inwards rather than outwards. Our goal was finding her core values, vision, and mission.
So, we started uncovering the bigger reasons behind her brand: Why did she start this company, what’s her goal with it? It gave us guiding principles to define the brand’s personality and purpose.
With all the information in place, we started researching. We broadly listed all her competitors and analyzed their brands. What do they do and where do they fall short? This gave an overview of the competitive landscape and where to position Maia.
Second, Knowing her Ideal Candidate:
The next step was to identify the ideal target client. This included listing the demographics, interests, and pain points to consider.
Secret Tip: The better you understand your target market, the better will your brand messaging be.
Finally, Making it her’s:
The key to standing out isn’t being innovative but simply being you. And that’s what we did. Together, we uncovered Maia’s unique perspective to add to the brand. So that, it truly represents her.
P.S. - Feeling stuck at strategy and confused how to find your true brand? I’ve got a complete guide that can help you with each step. Download now (comes with cool prompts to make the process easier)
Here’s a breakdown of each step:
| Brand Core | Prompt | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Why did you choose to do this? |
Maia Elizabeth wants to help people feel good inside and out. |
| Big Picture Vision |
What change do you want to bring through your brand? |
She dreams of a world where everyone happily takes care of their minds and bodies, creating a community full of well-being. |
| Mission | How will you make it happen? |
Maia's job is to guide folks toward a healthy and balanced life. She does this by sharing helpful tips and tasty recipes to make wellness fun. |
| Values | What are your driving principles? |
Integrated Healing - Healing inside and out, recognizing the connection between mental and physical well-being. Culinary Creativity - Creativity in the kitchen, making healthy eating delicious and exciting. Empathetic Guidance - Making sure everyone feels heard and encouraged on their well-being journey. |
| Problem-solving | What unique problem will you solve for your clients? |
She tackles the problem of traditional approaches by showing that being healthy isn't just about food. It's about the whole you — mind, body, and taste buds. |
| Unique Perspective |
What is your unique point of view about the industry? |
Thanks to her therapy background and love for tasty recipes, Maia sees well-being as a colorful mix of thoughts, feelings, and good food. She helps people see how everything is connected. |
Step Two: Brand Messaging
Ok so you want a brand that speaks to strangers and converts them into clients. And the master plan for that is ready. But how will you make your brand speak and connect with the audience?
I know you’re thinking this is bonkers, but trust me, this is what brand messaging means. It’s the tiny voice your audience will hear when they read your content.
Brand messaging will be the core of how you communicate your brand’s identity and value proposition.
Clear brand messaging will help your audience understand what you do, who you serve, and why they should choose you.
It will go beyond just facts. Think of it as the language that links your brand to your ideal clients, creating a strong and meaningful connection.
How to craft effective brand messaging for your service-based business?
Your brand strategy sets the vibe that will surround your brand. Now, you need to convert that into text format, aka, your message. Such that, every time someone reads the message they get a feel of your brand. This step by step breakdown will help you do so:
1. Figure out your brand’s essence
Revisit your foundation and figure out the key message you want to communicate. You can refer to your brand strategy and core values.
Identify your brand’s voice. Think of your brand as a person, what would their personality be like? Would they be friendly and approachable or sophisticated and authoritative? Whatever you pick, make sure to be consistent.
2. Know your audience’s needs
Understand the language of your target audience. You conduct market research to find their needs, pain points, and preferred communication styles.
Focus on benefits over features. Sure you offer a lot of services, but how will it help them? Don’t just list the services, highlight the benefits as well.
Create a message that resonates with the audience. For instance, if you’re targeting busy professionals, keep your message clear and concise. You can also highlight time-saving benefits (if any).
3. Be Authentic
Your message should reflect your brand's value. After all, this is what helps you tap into their emotions and form a deep connection. So, if your brand is about empowering women, it should sound like it.
4. Align Messaging with brand goals
Brainstorm messages that capture your brand’s essence and value.
Refine your message according to the audience’s needs and communication style.
Test it with a small group of people from your target audience. This helps ensure the message is a right fit.
Here’s everything your brand message needs to answer:
| Elements | Prompts |
|---|---|
| Core Offers | What are you selling? |
| Their Struggles |
What do your clients need help with? |
| Their Ambitions | What do your clients want their future to look like? What do they want solved? |
| How You Help | How do you help them bridge the gap? |
| Brand Persona | How does your brand act as a person? |
| Common Phrases | What are the words associated with your brand? |
Step Three: Brand Identity
Most people think that branding is all about logos. Well, I’m here to call you out with love. Your brand identity is the visual representation of your brand and logo is just a small part of it.
Think of it like this: If your brand identity is the whole outfit, the logo is just the blush. And can you call it look with just a blush on? Of course not, you need the whole deal, including sunscreen, foundation, eyeshadow, lipstick, and more.
Without everything in place, your look will seem incomplete no matter how well blended your blush is. That is what it’s like.
A logo alone cannot represent your brand no matter how perfect it is. It can’t evoke emotions or tell a story. You need to incorporate all the elements to showcase the true soul of your brand. Let’s talk more about this.
Creating a Cohesive Brand Identity
So, the secret to a good brand identity doesn't lie in being flashy, rather binding the elements. What elements exactly? Here are they listed below:
Logo: The visual cornerstone of your brand.
Brand Marks: Simplified visual representation of your brand, often in the form of icons and symbols.
Color palette: Colours that represent your brand and align with its personality.
Typography: Fonts that give you the power to express and convey the brand’s personality.
Patterns: Repeating designs or images that add a unique visual flavor.
Illustrations: Drawing that helps visualize content for better communication and storytelling.
Imagery: Pictures, photos, or representations that tell your story and evoke emotions.
The process of designing your visual identity
Now’s the time to get to work. Here’s how you can do it:
Define your brand’s identity: Revisit your brand strategy and core values. How do want people to perceive your brand?
Research target audience: Consider your target audience’s preferences. What kind of brand would they like to invest in? What colors and design styles do they resonate with?
Create a mood board: Now comes the best part, surf the web to collect visuals that inspire you and capture your brand. This will help curate your desired aesthetic.
Design, iterate, and refine: Work with a designer or use online tools to create a logo, color palette, and typography. Getting feedback and refining accordingly to make sure it is aligned with your vision.
Step Four: Brand Content
One thing we’ve constantly talked about is building your brand your way, being unique and attracting clients.
But do you think creating a visually pleasing brand is enough? Sadly, not anymore, gone are the days of pretty privilege in branding in service sector.
Your visuals may make people look but it won’t make them stay. So, what you need to add in the mix is content.
Content is the way your brand acts. It reveals your fresh perspective in the industry and makes people connect.
Valuable, informative, and engaging content positions you as a thought leader and trusted resource. It boosts awareness and loyalty and builds genuine relationships.
Steps for developing engaging brand content
1. Know your audience to speak their language:
Understanding your target audience is the foundation for your content. You must research their needs, interests, problems, and preferred forms of communication. This will help you create content that is in line with or even better than their expectations.
2. Experiment with content formats:
Once you strongly understand your audience, you can create content for them. There are a ton of formats out there. You must try out each of these to find what works best for you -
Blogs: Want to be a thought leader? Post informative blogs with actionable tips on relevant topics.
Videos: These have undeniable power for sure. Give your audience a glimpse of the company culture through explainer videos, behind-the-scenes and case studies.
Social Media Posts: If you want to form a personal connection with your audience, try this format. All you need to do is share industry updates, stories, or fun visuals. Live sessions and polls also boost engagement.
No matter which format you choose, make sure to blend in your brand’s identity and messaging. Using it consistently will leave a lasting impression on your readers.
3. Pro Tip: Add value beyond promotion:
Do you like sales talk? I don’t either. That’s why when you work with me, I try to balance out promotional content as much as I can. How? By following these steps:
Focus on solutions over sales
Connect with people through powerful stories
Be you, the audience loves it.
Stay consistent with your content style
Optimize your content with white spaces for easy reading.
I help you build content that represents you and your unique thinking. Which your audience loves. Want to see it for yourself? Check out some of my successful client stories.
Step Five: Brand Building
You’ve got your strategy, messaging, identity and content in place. Now is the time to implement them to create a positive brand experience for strangers to turn into clients.
The key here is to use these elements to differentiate your brand from others. That is what successful brand building looks like. And you can only achieve it by showing up and knowing how to sell.
Is it a form of marketing? Yes, a little but, building your brand is way more than marketing. It’s about placing yourself as the solution to problems without compromising on authenticity. Such that strangers see you stand out and want to buy from you.
Strategies for successful brand building
As a brand designer, one thing I see my clients undergo is monotony. Often consistent brand building can get monotonous and make you lose your identity. A solution to this is experimenting. It allows you to explore new horizons and understand what your audience enjoys.
Other than that, here are some steps for successful branding in service industry:
Content is king: Publish high-quality content regularly. It will keep the audience educated, entertained, and engaged. Utilizing different formats is crucial here, it keeps things fresh and interesting.
Be social media savvy: Social media platforms are the only place where you can get comfy and personal with your audience. So, share valuable content, participate in conversations, and run interactive campaigns. This will help build and nurture healthy relationships.
Put in those public relations efforts: Don’t miss on opportunities to get featured in industry publications or relevant events. This increases brand awareness. Establishing you as a thought leader over time.
Engage with the customers: People love it when a brand engages with them. Respond to customer inquiries and feedback. By addressing concerns, you can foster a sense of community around your brand.
Stay relevant: The service industry undergoes constant waves of change. And if you don’t ride the wave, you will be left behind. So monitor the trends and adapt accordingly.
Leverage the power of feedback: Customers often drop in insights, feedback, and concerns. These are a goldmine of information for every business. Thus you must address these to build a loyal audience.
DIY Branding vs. Working with a Brand Designer
Kudos, now you’ve learnt all about building a brand from strategy, messaging, identity to building. You’re finally ready to:
Walk the walk, talk the talk, look the look and turn those strangers to clients
But one question remains - should you do it all by yourself or hire a designer? Let’s have a look
DIY Branding: A Double-Edged Sword
Branding by yourself is surely exciting. I mean who knows your brand better than you? The DIY process feels more accurate and saves cost, but it also comes at a price. Let’s weigh out the pros and cons before concluding:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
Cost Effective |
Time Commitment |
| Creative freedom |
Not keeping it consistent |
|
Deeper brand understanding |
Limited Design Expertise |
Should you or should you not hire a brand designer? (Let’s consider)
Hiring a brand designer on the other hand is also a great investment for any business. And no shade to DIY branding, but sometimes you can benefit from some extra help. Let’s break down the pros and cons of hiring to help decide:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
Expertise and Experience |
Cost |
| Strategic Approach |
Finding the right fit |
|
More efficient |
Potential disagreements |
|
Enhances brands impact |
|
|
Scalable and consistent designing |
One of my clients, Maia Elizabeth, has an interesting brand. She incorporates her therapy experiences with food to give recipes that taste good and feel even better.
Now who understands her brand better than her? No one really, cuz it’s all based on her experiences. But, building a brand alone was a challenge for her. The main reason being she didn’t know how to express her vision.
So, she decided to collaborate with me. Together we took a deep dive to understand:
What she was really offering
How was she helping your clients
Why was she the go-to choice
How she was vibing with and understanding her clients
This gave me a whole picture of her brand, from the big idea to the tiny details. In turn, I used these to create a brand that was true to her but also attracted her ideal clients.
And that is something I can do for you too. Create a brand that speaks volumes about you and show your clients how you can help them.
The bottom line
If you’re starting with limited funds, DIY branding is the route for you. All you need are basic design skills to create a clear strategy, identity, and messaging.
However, the situation will change once you’ve expanded your service business. Being 3-5 years into your industry takes you to a limbo phase. You’ve outgrown your current identity and are still not at the big picture vision.
This is the point where you need to constantly invest in your business to ensure growth. And your DIY branding efforts may not be able to reflect your growth to the audience. In such a case, hiring me as a brand designer can help you.
I will take you through a custom branding approach to showcase your experience and value. So that your branding matches the level of your top notch service. Wanna know more? Let’s chat!
Conclusion
In summary, branding in service business can turn those strangers into clients, but you need a strategic approach..
Believe me or not we all have tons of lurking strangers. They’re watching you through your stories or blogs, but simply aren’t convinced to invest.
And to turn them into clients you are gonna need a brand that reflects who you are and what you do. A brand so good that resonates with them and forms a connection. Making them want to buy from you.
You can create such a powerful brand by following the steps in the blog. However, if you still need more tips and tricks, get the ultimate branding guide (It’s free!)
If the DIY route is not for you, contact Studio Eclectics. I’m always here to help create a brand that truly represents you and connects with your audience.
