Why is branding important?
It's how you communicate and demonstrate your unique value. Everything can be branded (places, causes, processes, services, products, people, etc.)

Robert Frankel quotes the Goal of branding: "Branding is not about getting your prospects to choose you over your competitors, it's about getting your customers to see you as the only solution to their problem."

Brand Definition
This is the process of defining your business: Who you are, what you do, who you can best help, and what makes you different from your competition. You must have all of these factors well-defined to create an effective brand. If your thoughts in all of these areas aren't clear, concise, and well-put, then you can't hope to effectively direct your customers' thoughts about your business. Worse yet, you might wind up looking like you have "multiple personality syndrome," which can thoroughly confuse your customers.

Brand Identity
also known as the graphic "face" of your business. Small businesses certainly benefit from creating a logo and a consistent set of marketing materials. Forty percent of people better remember what they see as opposed to what they hear or read. So having an iconic logo and a strong visual vocabulary used throughout your materials greatly increases your business's memorability — and makes it more likely that your customers will think about you. The colors, fonts, and symbols that you use throughout your Brand Identity can also communicate your Brand Definition to your customers in a visual way that's more powerful than using words alone.

Brand Messaging
This is the way that you talk about your business. What is the main message that you want to tell people about your business? What do you want them to remember about you, and how would you like them to pass the word along to others they meet? You can influence many of the thoughts that your customers have about you, and how they talk about you, by having consistent messaging in your marketing materials.

Brand Service
This is how you perform your tasks, relate to your customers, and deliver your products or services. Customer service is a part of a company's brand that's often overlooked, because it's not seen as a part of an advertising or marketing campaign. But with the definition of a brand being so customer-focused, keep in mind that the way that you serve your customers is one of your biggest points of contact with them and the experience can really shape their opinions. Make sure that your service and business practices are in-line with your brand, whether you're relating to existing clients or new prospects.