Branding could be the most important business decision you make.
Brands aren’t just how customers get to know you. They form part of your customers’ identity. Getting it wrong could leave your company ignored – or worse, ridiculed.
That’s why it’s important to know what you’re doing when you brand your business. Below, we’ve put together a short guide to what it takes to do it right.
Knowing Your Brand
Before you can even think about branding your business, you need to know what your brand actually is.
This should start with a clear idea of your core business focus. Decide what your product is. Think about how it’s useful to your audience. How will you communicate that?
Decide the tone of your brand. It could be professional and mature, or fun and quirky. Do you aim for informative content or hilarious memes?
Know your niche. This will tell you what kind of demographic your brand should speak to.
Knowing Your Audience
Knowing your audience is Step 2 in effective branding.
A clear picture of your audience will help you create a brand they can identify with. Look at other businesses in your field for ideas about what does and doesn’t work. Check out what the big names are doing – they didn’t get there with shoddy branding.
Research what your audience wants to see. Engage with them to find out what they expect from brands in their niche.
Building a brand around knowledge of your audience means your business is tailor-made to catch their interest. Without knowing your audience, your brand could be ignored or backfire altogether.
Strong Design
Strong design is crucial to effective branding.
Visual memory is powerful. Your audience will remember your brand more by its visuals than anything you’ve said.
Come up with an effective logo that communicates your brand. Don’t skimp.
This logo needs to say something about your company. It must be memorable and something you’re proud to display.
This strong visual flair should encompass all aspects of your business. Your site should reflect your company colors and feature your logo prominently. The same goes for any literature or advertising you produce.
Consistency
The key to a truly effective brand is to keep it consistent.
There are two main thrusts to a consistent brand. The first is consistency of content. This means keeping your tone and visual design consistent across any media you use to advertise.
The second is consistency of message. This means you don’t tell your audience something in one form of marketing and something else in another. Don’t pitch yourself in conflicting niches.
Consistency makes your brand memorable. It also sets customer expectations and avoids confusion. Customers shouldn’t have to think about what your brand entails – they should just know what you offer.
Brand Your Business for Success
It’s important to brand your business to achieve success. Customers respond better to a business with a strong brand, and without one, you’re likely to get lost in the shuffle. Take the time out to get your brand right before you launch.
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