Luxury Branding: 3 Ways to Build a High End Brand

Most of you know, especially if you follow my Instagram at all, that I travel with my boyfriend for his job full time and work in our RV unless I’m traveling back to STL for my photography business.  It’s so great getting to see new places across the country.  I seriously love it.

The one problem I have, though, is finding a hair stylist to keep my hair presentable. My hair has always been high maintenance.  It’s super thick, really curly, and just a lot to take care of, but I manage most of the time.

One of the first things I do when we get settled in a new place is look for a hair stylist that fits my style and looks like she can handle the ridiculous amount of hair that I have.

In one new area we were in a few months ago, I was scrolling through Instagram searching for a stylist and I came across one that looked like she knew her stuff.  I tried to message her. Then, I tried to call. I waited a day or two… Still crickets.

I finally gave up, found another business, and booked an appointment with her.  She was amazing, by the way.

FOUR DAYS LATER, the original stylist finally calls me back.  She sounds distracted on the phone. There’s a ton of back ground noise. She’s not the nicest. And my first thought was wow, I think I dodged a bullet.  Obviously, I didn’t book her.

How does that apply to luxury branding?

The stylist had an amazing Instagram. She looked really professional and obviously she had great work or I wouldn’t have called her.

She looked high end, but when you really got down to it, her luxury branding didn’t translate throughout her business.

You can’t just have a high end brand on the surface.  Your entire business needs to feel professional to your client at all times, or else they won’t trust you.

Luxury branding also justifies your pricing that you can avoid those icky pricing questions.  With the right clients, they won’t even think twice about what you charge.

So let’s talk about 3 ways to nail your luxury branding.

Nailing your luxury branding is more than a pretty logo and the right colors. It’s your entire business, and it needs to be exactly right.

1. Create a cohesive, professional, and streamlined business.

I didn’t originally book with that first stylist because she was all over the place. Her business didn’t feel professional. She was distracted on the phone when she finally called me back.

I’m not saying you need to be at your client’s beck and call at all times, but you do need to be available within 24 hours(except on holidays or weekends- you’re allowed to have a life).

We live in a society that’s used to instant gratification.  It’s just part of running a business in 2020.

Setting up your systems and softwares completely is another important factor.  Don’t be the business owner who hasn’t completely set up the reminder texts or emails.  Those not only save you time and money by avoiding no shows or cancellations in the long run, but also make you look super professional to your clients.

Take the time and put in the effort to create a business that even you would love to work with.

2. Be strategic.

Set up a luxury branding and marketing plan that makes your business feel high end.

Use your website as a conversion tool… NOT as a business card. Your website is not to show potential clients how pretty your work is. It’s to convert them into PAYING clients.

Find other businesses that work with your ideal client.  See if you can figure out a way to work with them… a way that benefits you both. My students in 90 Day Dream Biz are finding this to be one of the fastest ways to grow their business.  Combined with a well through out and strategic marketing plan it’s extremely effective.

3. Price according to your Cost of Doing Business(CODB).

“My area can’t support that kind of higher pricing.” 

“No one else charges anything higher than _____ so I can’t either.”

I hear this all the time, but I want to tell you that this kind of thinking is not only incorrect, it’s also going to hurt your business in the long run.

You can’t worry about what everyone else is charging. It doesn’t matter.  You have to worry about your own Cost of Doing Business or CODB. You can only worry about what it takes to keep your business open AND to be able to live a life you actually love.  That’s the most important thing after all.  It’s the reason you started your business.

There are people who can and will afford higher end businesses.

It’s all how you position yourself and your business. Like I mentioned above, you have to search out your ideal client and market directly to them.

Yes, there are people who won’t be able to “afford” you. Those aren’t your client.

But you also know, in every area, in every town, there are people who either have money or they prioritize things that others don’t.

I saw it all the time when I rodeo’d a lot. There would be cowboys and cowgirls driving $100,000 rigs with $50,000 horses.  When you went to their actual house, they lived in a single wide, run down trailer.  They put their priorities where most other people don’t.  I’m sure you’ve seen something similar, too.

The people who prioritize what you offer are out there.  You just have to find them.  They aren’t going to seek you out.  The first step is luxury branding for your business so that you will attract the right client.

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Each week, in Dream Biz Developer, I host a FREE coaching call. We cover all things branding, automation, and marketing.  I’d love to see ya there!