In a highly competitive market, branding is referred to as a process of creating a strong identity for a company. Therefore, it is a lot more than just creating a logo; it is also a promise and a personality that your company will bring to the customers.
Branding is important for an SaaS company as it not only creates a tangible identity for a brand, but it also helps customers identify with something, building loyalty and trust. Based on this idea, this blog will focus on what branding actually means for a SaaS company.
The Misconception: Branding = Logo
A logo is the most recognizable symbol that is attached to a brand. For example, the swoosh logo has become synonymous with Nike, and the four rings immediately scream Audi. That is why the misconception has been created about the logo being the brand.
However, the real definition of branding is more than the symbol. Branding creates an entity to address consumers. So, it is not just about the perception of value, but it is about building a personal connection with the customers.
Therefore, just hiring a creative web design agency to create an attractive logo for your company is not where the scope of branding ends.
A logo is more like a visual identity, which is different from the brand identity. How? It is:
| Factors | Visual Identity (Logo) | Brand Identity |
| Scope | It is a subsection of branding. | It covers the entire scope of branding. |
| Tangibility | Focuses only on the tangible visual impressions. | Focuses more on intangible aspects such as values, identity, and personality. |
| Perception | Contributes to a brand’s visual perception. | It is the overall personification of the brand that the customers perceive. |
Table 1: Visual Identity vs. Brand Identity
Why SaaS Branding Needs to Be Strategic
The Software as a Service market is crowded. And most of the SaaS companies follow similar models of business, such as subscription-based models. However, a company still needs to make its presence known compared to the competitors.
Thus, a strategy needs to be created for branding purposes, not only to stand out in a crowded market but also to build customer trust and create value for the service.
Also, since branding is creating an identity, it permeates across every approach of a business. It is reflected in the user experience (UX), the approach to interacting with customers, and the tone of voice.
Thus, for a SaaS marketing agency, it is more than important to use a logo for branding, but rather to create an identity for a SaaS company that the customers can communicate with freely, and is different enough to stand out in a crowd.
Key Components of a Strong SaaS Brand
So, how can a SaaS brand be considered strong? Here are some components of the SaaS branding strategy that can be considered important:
| Component | Description | Significance |
| A voice of the brand | Promotes brand value, creates a tone and personality for the brand. | Sets a personality for the brand. |
| The visual identity | Logo design, color, and specific UI design. | Develops visual recognition. |
| User experience | Customer onboarding, dashboards, and user flows. | Supports brand values through customer interactions. |
| Content strategy | Blogs, guides, newsletters, videos, and so on. | Reinforces authority and supports customers. |
| Approach to customer support | A human tone, creating empathy and brand-aligned responses. | Strengthens brand image, fosters loyalty. |
Table 2: Key Components of Strong SaaS Branding
If you look at the chart above, the logo or the visual identity becomes one of the multiple components of SaaS branding, and not the entire concept.
How Strong Branding Facilitates SaaS Growth
Strong branding can be extremely crucial to SaaS growth. How is it so? This is because a strong brand can create some of the following feelings among the customers:
- It builds customer trust.
- It enriches the customer’s sense of loyalty.
- It helps SaaS brands stand out in a crowd and attract more customers, leading to improvements in long-term brand loyalty.
And how do these feelings from the customers help the growth of the brand? Firstly, they increase customer onboarding rates. And then, with a clear understanding of the values of the SaaS brand, most customers can get an idea of what they are in for in the long term. Thus, the churn rate is lowered.
Also, a company with satisfied customers implies a positive word-of-mouth propagation. A customer who is satisfied with your services will spread a positive reception of the brand with their friends, family, or on social media. Leading to more customers considering your brand. If you’re offering services to other companies, you can expect your reach to expand to multiple businesses.
A SaaS marketing agency will generally focus on these aspects when indicating what could imply growth for your SaaS company.
Branding Action Steps for SaaS Founders
What steps can you take as an SaaS company as branding actions? Here are some of the possible strategies to consider:
- Build a clear and transparent definition of your brand’s values and promises to customers.
- Contact a creative web design agency and you’ll have support in creating a specific visual identity for your brand.
- Take a more human approach to your messaging, and align your products and services with the brand promise that you have established.
- Also, you can have a regular brand audit or customer surveys to establish brand consistency touchpoints.
Summing Up
So yes, branding is something way beyond just a SaaS company’s logo. It is its identity, creativity, and personality that the customers get to see. Therefore, branding can essentially be defined as a focus on user experience, consistency, values, and design, and not just one out of the four. Which means your logo is a crucial but small part of a larger whole.
Looking For an Ideal SaaS Branding Strategy?
Want to define a brand for your SaaS company? The strategy that you define needs to focus on more than just the visual appeal. So, note down all the ideal steps to create a brand identity, including defining the values, your brand’s personality, its appeal, and the way it approaches the customers. And one more thing, consistency can define success in the SaaS business!