What is Brand Positioning?

Stated simply, brand positioning is positioning your brand for the best possible success. We're in an online world now, but travel back into the offline, and the store front world. Brands had to position themselves strategically in the windows to be seen by potential customers on the sidewalks, or driving by the store in cars. It's the same thing now. The questions are threefold. Are you:

1. Visible
2. Credible
3. Profitable

Let's break them each down.

Visibility - If no one can see you, they can't feed you. This simply means that if no one can find your offer, you'll never get paid. Now, this is also where perception plays a part, because it's not good business practice to be everywhere all the time. I know people talk about omnipresence, and so do I, but imagine going into a 99 cent store and seeing an official Gucci bag. I know you might be ecstatic, but what does that say about the brand recognition. In one case, you would not think it was an authentic luxury item (ie, knockoff), or your view of the brand would decline.

Credibility - This brings us to credibility. Have you done your due diligence to establish your footing, as a (if not The) viable option. Can people trust your integrity? Have you positioned your footage, testimonials, happy prior client's videos and accolades properly, so people who are interested in working with you can find them? Do you have a website? In these days, your website IS your storefront, and a cheap one, or unprofessional one, positions you as both cheap and unprofessional. Do you have the education, experience and expertise needed to compete in the realm of expertise and ethics to ethically and masterfully support your service? Most important question of all is, does the public know it? You can all the degrees and certifications in the world, if they are not documented elegantly on your virtual resume (ie your website, or landing page) it never happened.

Profitability - Which brings me to my third and final point on this matter of positioning, are you making revenue? People want to relate themselves to luxury and the finer things in life, no matter what you're selling. Are you winning in life and business, is as serious a question as, are you breathing - because no one wants to be associated with a loser, or a losing brand. Think of Adidas before and after Kanye West. There were places you'd never see the brand, and people that you'd never catch wearing the brand, but once Ye became associated with it, they were recognized as iconic, and winning. Then since he has left, the decline has been in epic proportions. Check the stats.

To summarize, you want to be strategically positioned in a way where people can easily find you (visibility), appreciate your value and trust you (credibility), and are willing to pay a premium, and proud to tell others they work with you, and paid a high price for you (profitability). This way they end up working for you, as brand advocates and acolytes.

If you're missing one of these components it will be struggle to distinguish yourself from the heap and you may get lost in the pile of nameless and faceless brands that have come and gone. You don't want to be a flash in the pan, so make sure you get this right from the beginning. It is not easy, but it's simple, supremely important, and positioning your brand in the right light, will be one of the most important investment that you can make. You'll reap the rewards for generations, as have the iconic brands that we all know and love, hope to be able to afford and wouldn't want anything less than to pay a premium for.

Shaan Rais is a Personal Brand Specialist and Strategist. A professional speaker, he helps experts and entrepreneurs to attract their ideal clients, maximize impact, and increase income and independence through Personal Brand Leadership. Best - Selling Author of The 7 Prerequisites to Success, his process can be found on his website here, to inquire about 1:1 Coaching start here, and his premium course on branding; Branded Like a Leader can be found here.