Companies that focus on external branding without any focus on internal branding will find that their productivity and morale may suffer. Internal branding is what makes your employees happy, loyal and motivated. Below are some reasons why companies need to focus on internal branding.

Increases Trust

A company with inadequate branding will find that it may undercut its public trust. If a company does not have the right internal culture, that may bleed out into the public realm, and it can hurt sales. Customers today can tell when a business has a strong internal culture and brand. They are more likely to trust a strongly branded company and reward it with their business. This comes along with being consistent in your message, the way you deliver it, and staying top-of-mind with your customers.

Boosts Employee Morale

Interact explains, “success in business is all about people, people, people. Whatever industry a company is in, its employees are its biggest competitive advantage. Bags in Bulk explains, “employees want to have a sense of purpose and a sense of belonging in their workplace. If the goal post keeps moving, or if they receive mixed messages about what the brand represents, they’re going to lose focus and devalue the brand. If you don’t have a solid company culture or internal branding standard in place, this is your time to hash out the details.” By making employees aware of the company and the culture/brand they’re part of you can help improve their sense of belonging and unity.

Creates a Harmonious Workplace

Internal branding means shared goals between employees. When employees are working towards the same thing, it increases harmony and decreases friction in the workplace. Skip Prichard explains, “internal branding gives workers a common playbook and set of principles and puts them all on the same page. In addition, it lends predictability to the daily workplace and, when that occurs, there is less room for disputes between coworkers.”

Helps Recruitment and Retention

Internal branding helps establish your workplace as a desirable address for potential recruits. Many workers are drawn to a company by its story, and internal branding helps tell that story. When your company has a strong internal brand, it catches a certain buzz and means that your business is talked about. At some point, the internal branding catches on with the public and they will want to become a part of it. Often times this happens in the form of online reviews, such as Glassdoor. Bridge explains, “Glassdoor allows users to provide anonymous reviews of a company in categories including compensation and benefits, work/life balance, senior management, culture and values, and career opportunities.” Having positive reviews for your business will attract potential hires and allow you to gauge how happy your current employees are. In addition to recruitment benefits, internal branding helps keep your existing employees in place.

It is worthwhile to invest in internal branding. The rewards are apparent in many different areas. Whether you need to increase trust in your brand, boost employee morale and cooperation, or recruit and retain new employees, strong internal branding is crucial. And in turn, your external efforts will be increased exponentially by having great internal culture.