You've probably heard or read about the importance of product branding, but what about branding your services? When running a service business, you compete on quality and speed. You aren't selling tangible products, so your business is hard to quantify. That's why you have to work hard on how to brand a service-based business to convince your customers that they need your service before they can realize it for themselves. Here's how you can get that done.
What is Service-Based Branding?
When you think of service-oriented companies, you might think of restaurants, law firms, or even accountants. But what is a service, exactly? It's anything intangible: an experience, a feeling, a result. These are things that you can't touch, and they're often the reason we choose one business over another—even if they offer the same thing. According to Hubspot, 92% of consumers actually switch to another company after 3 or fewer bad experiences.
In essence, service-based branding refers to your company's overall identity related to the services you provide. It's how you and your company communicate itself to the rest of the world. Your brand identity is formed by the wide range of services you provide, how you manage them, and the outcomes of those services.
Service-Based Branding VS Product Branding?
Unlike product branding, which promotes a product, service branding requires more behind-the-scenes involvement. Branding anything that isn't visible is more complicated.
Service-based branding emphasizes your organization's identity, professionalism, brand image, and other aspects influencing how customers perceive your company. Product branding, on the other hand, is the act of giving a product an identity—a distinct look, feel, and message that distinguishes it from other items.
With a service-based branding, it can be hard to understand precisely what your customers want. It's not a simple physical product that everyone needs. Instead, it's a personal experience that depends on your understanding of the customer journey along with your client's wants and needs.
What are Some Examples of Service Branding?
Branding Agencies
Branding agencies are essential partners for businesses aiming to establish and manage a distinctive brand identity. A branding agency can be defined by three key attributes: expertise, creativity, and experience. They creatively transform marketing materials like logos, visuals, and messaging into compelling brand assets. They provide clients with guidance on brand development based on solid knowledge from their experience.
For branding services to assert their own branding, websites and landing pages convey professionalism with clean design, sleek brand style guide, while content and guides maintain a friendly and informative tone for their brand messaging. Client testimonials and case studies build trust by showcasing their successful track record.
Fitness Coaching
Fitness coaching brands typically project an image centered around promoting a healthy lifestyle and often highlight the masculine elements of exercise. Their brand guidelines, tend to use straightforward, motivational messaging that's easily digestible.
The core of fitness coaching brand imagery revolves around encouraging individuals to adopt healthier habits and improve their physical well-being. They do this by showcasing exercise as an integral part of a balanced and robust lifestyle.
The messaging used by these brands is typically direct and motivational. For their brand voice, they use strong, empowering words to inspire action, such as "transform," "achieve," and "power."
Law Firms
Law firms primarily build their brand personality around trust, expertise, and experience in their respective legal fields.
While some law firms might adopt a more relaxed approach, most maintain a formal, polite, and professional image.
The cornerstone of a law firm's brand identity is trust. They do this by highlighting their collective expertise and experience, demonstrating their ability to navigate complex legal issues.
Many firms use the names of their founding partners as a way to convey their reputation and expertise. These names become synonymous with the firm's identity and reflect its history and legacy. It's a way of saying, "We've been doing this for a long time, and you can trust us."
Auto Repair Shop
Auto repair shops typically maintain a casual atmosphere, and they often opt for creative brand names; consumers prioritize reliability, expertise, and cost-effectiveness. Unlike some industries, there's no single, universal branding style for auto repair services, but their marketing efforts often appeal to car enthusiasts.
The key factors that draw customers to auto repair shops are trust and competence. When people's vehicles require attention, they want to know they're leaving them in capable hands. Consequently, auto repair shops tend to focus more on demonstrating their expertise and reliability through their work rather than elaborate branding.
Interior Designing
Interior design branding typically revolves around a customer-centric approach, where the client's desires and needs take center stage. This approach, however, is balanced with the expertise of the interior designer. Creativity and imagination serve as the guiding principles for interior design brands, and they often highlight their previous client projects for social proof.
In interior design, the client's vision is put into focus. Interior designers work closely with their clients to understand their preferences, lifestyle, and functional requirements. Their marketing strategy, a customer-centric approach, ensures that the final design aligns with the client's tastes and needs. It's a delicate balance, as designers bring their expertise to the table, suggesting creative solutions that merge the client's desires with practical design principles.
Benefits of Branding for Services
Service-Based branding Helps You Control the Narrative
It allows you to express who you are and what you have to offer potential customers clearly and consistently, which will help them understand why they should choose you over your competitors.
Branding Allows Service-based Businesses to Differentiate from their Competitors.
A well-known brand helps customers identify quickly between companies that offer similar services, especially when the businesses are near one another or advertise on similar platforms.
Service-based Branding Helps You Stand Out from the Crowd
A branded service also has the advantage of reaching a larger audience than an unbranded one simply because it has been established as a trusted name within its industry and culture. With service-based branding, it's easier than ever before to be unique and draw attention to yourself!
Why is a Service Branded?
Why do you need to brand your service? It would be best to make sure that your clients understand what they are buying when they choose you. Their perception of what they can expect from your business should be clear.
In today's world, service providers and brands are more and more important. As companies move from manufacturing products to delivering complete solutions and intangible services, the importance of the service branding process has never been higher. But even though service brand profiles have risen in importance, it's critical to understand that developing a strong brand service requires a different branding process approach than developing a product brand.
How do You Brand A Service-based Company?
As a service-based company, it can be hard to figure out how to brand yourself when your product is not physical. You're trying to sell something intangible, and that's always tricky. So how do you maximize your branding efforts to brand a service-based company?
Use the Power of Story
Are you a small business owner or an entrepreneur? If so, you're probably having trouble communicating effectively with your stakeholders. It's not uncommon for entrepreneurs to struggle with this—but it's also not a problem that can't be solved through services.
The most effective way to help yourself, your team, and your customers understand what you're trying to say is to use storytelling. When people are inundated with information all day long, they don't have time to listen to anyone who doesn't communicate clearly. But they'll listen if you tell a story. This will help them understand the message you want them to hear and see that you're a strong brand.
Be Proactive and Anticipate Needs
The best way to be proactive with your service business is to use the internet. You can actively market your services and make it easy for people to find you. People are always searching on the internet for local businesses that can help them with their needs.
When you have a project in progress, and your target market is asking about it, think ahead and plan the following phases. You don't want to wait until they come to you but instead, be proactive and meet them in the middle where they need you. Reach out to them and show them how you can help them get actionable answers.
Be Responsive
What's the single biggest problem in any relationship? Poor communication.
And that's why you need to respond to your customers as fast as possible, or within 24 hours—no matter what. It's expected of you, and if you don't live up to it, you'll be in trouble.
Establish expectations for your office hours and response times. Make sure customers know you're open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Let them know if it takes you an average of 23 minutes to react. They won't have to wait three days and be upset by the delay.
The more you communicate well with your customers, the better your relationships and the quality of service brand will be!
Customer Satisfaction is Key
A happy customer is a repeat customer, and repeat customers help you build brand loyal customers. That's why customer satisfaction is so important! It tells you how well the professional services that you offer meet or exceed the expectations that your customers have.
If you're a service provider and take the time to listen to your client's comments and concerns, you'll be rewarded with a growing client base that loves your business.
You can keep tabs on how much your customers appreciate your business performance by sending them short surveys, conducting follow-up calls to assess how satisfied they are with your services, or even offering a referral bonus to encourage them to spread the good word about your company.
Engage with your Audience
Of all the qualities you need how to brand a service-based company, enthusiasm is one of the most important.
Showing enthusiasm is a surefire way to give a good customer experience they won't forget and want to keep coming back to.
By showing enthusiasm and making it visible on social media and in your blog postings, you say that you believe in what your business offers and that you think it can make a difference in people's lives. When you show how excited or passionate you are about your service-based business, people are more likely to be interested because they will see how much it means to you.
Top 5 Brand Positioning Strategies for a Service Brand
Brand positioning strategies are the blueprint for how a brand intends to stand out and connect with its target audience. Regarding service brands, these strategies play a pivotal role in shaping perceptions and driving customer loyalty.
1. Niche Specialization
One effective way to position your service brand is through niche specialization. By identifying a specific niche within your industry and tailoring your services to cater to its unique needs, you can distinguish your brand from competitors. This approach not only helps in attracting a dedicated customer base but also allows you to command premium pricing for your specialized services.
2. Convenience and Accessibility
Convenience and accessibility are paramount in services like house repair and auto mechanic services. Ensure that your services are easily accessible to your target audience through multiple channels, such as online booking, mobile apps, or a user-friendly website. Providing strong customer support and seamless communication channels further enhance the convenience factor, making your brand the go-to choice for consumers with busy lifestyles.
3. Emotional Connection
Customers are more likely to engage with and remain loyal to brands that evoke positive emotions. Tell your brand's story, showcase its values, and demonstrate how your services positively impact customers' lives. Building an emotional connection not only fosters brand loyalty but also generates brand advocates who will spread the word about your exceptional service.
4. Customer-Centricity
Positioning your brand as genuinely customer-centric involves actively listening to customer feedback, addressing their pain points, and continuously improving your services based on their needs. Demonstrating a commitment to customer satisfaction can set your service brand apart from competitors and build trust and loyalty among your clientele.
5. Innovation and Technology
Showcasing your commitment to staying at the forefront of industry advancements not only boosts your credibility but also attracts tech-savvy consumers. Whether implementing AI-driven solutions, offering virtual consultations, or enhancing the overall digital experience, leveraging innovation and technology can help your service brand stand out in a crowded market.
Assert Your Service Brand Image
Brand positioning strategies are the foundation upon which a successful brand can build their identity and connect with their target audience. By embracing niche specialization, prioritizing convenience and accessibility, fostering emotional connections, adopting a customer-centric approach, and integrating innovation and technology, service brands can position themselves as leaders in their industry and create lasting impressions on customers. Effective brand positioning not only attracts new clients but also retains existing ones, ultimately contributing to long-term success and growth.
Let us know how Evolv can help you build a strong brand for your services, and also check out our blog for updated trends on branding strategies as well as how to assert your place in the modern era through digital marketing strategy.
