Brand is simply a mental creation to help people understand one company and its services over another. How aware are people of all your services? If you still hear "I didn't know you could do that", chances are your branding efforts are failing.Position your company as the go-to resource. Strong branding reduces the perception of risk. Ultimately, that will have more influence over who gets the job than anything else. 75% of buying decisions are based on emotion. It's all about trust. Price is often just an easy excuse.Building your brand is a journey, not an event. There's no such thing as a quick branding campaign. If you want to sell solutions rather than transactions, you need to make a long-term commitment to cust­omer engagement, extending your reach, fostering trust and staying top of mind. A simple, straightforward strategy and a commitment to execution is all it takes.Content is a very powerful branding tool. Create content for humans and not for search engines and the SEO will take care of itself. Quality content that engages the audience generates knowledge and effects emotions. Both are critical for effective branding. Leverage social media as well to help promote your content.Branding isn't complicated but it's also something that can't be ignored.Do you have a marketing plan in place for 2014? We offer a suite of customizable, area exclusive direct mail and online marketing tools. To request samples and info, click here. Or email me direct at pat@greatreachinc.com.