Whether you own a fortune 500 company or a very small business, you need a solid and well-defined brand to compete. Your brand reflects who you are, how your business differs from competitors and your promise to customers. Successful branding involves planning a consistent identity and image. Ready to dive in? Here are some branding tips to get your started.
Have a Mission Statement
In a sentence or two, write a summary of the goals and values of your business. Be sure to define your markets, what is important to you, and what direction you want the company to go. Your branding statement should clearly define what your company stands for. Use your own personal voice.
Set Yourself Apart
Stand out from the competition. Ask yourself why a customer should choose to buy from you. Highlight your affordability, subject matter expertise, or a product or service that outperforms others. It is essential to communicate why your company is the best choice. Promote your biggest ‘selling’ points in a clear and concise way.
Create a Logo that Pops
Design an eye-catching logo that defines what your company represents. You want people to instantly recognize it and know what you offer.
Build a Professional Website
You want to have a professional website for your business. It doesn’t have to be expensive.
Consider choosing a hosting service where you will have access to support teams to help you pick a domain name. Be sure your website is compatible with mobile devices.
Focus on Your Target Market
Know who your audience is. Define their age, gender, socio-economic status, culture and where they live. These factors will help cultivate your brand identity and how you market your company to the public.
Personalize Your Brand
When you are crafting your brand ‘commercial’, define your company’s mission, the benefits and features of your products or services, and what qualities you want others to associate with you. Create a ‘voice’ that reflects your brand and apply it to all of your communication and visual imagery. Be consistent with your color scheme and logo. Don’t forget to create a memorable tagline too. A brief, clear slogan should help establish an emotional connection to your company.
Some Common Branding Mistakes
Relying only on trends. Although they can help your business grow, relying exclusively on trends can weaken your brand identity.
Copying the competition. Mimicking strategies that work for them can make your business appear less unique.
Don’t use confusing imagery. Selecting colors, icons and shapes that your audience isn’t familiar with can distract from the purpose of your brand. Make sure your design elements reflect the mood, values and products your company offers.
Ignoring the text. Don’t forget to write compelling copy to accompany your logo and visual images. Text is a persuasive branding tool that tells a story about the company’s brand identity.
Your branding voice is inconsistent. Use the same tone of voice in press releases, customer emails, and social media posts. Your brand image may be confusing if you don’t. Communicating with the public in a clear, consistent brand voice is critical.
Need a Marketing Expert?
We’re here to help! At Trembling Giant, we bring the best independent services together to do what they do best, and you get affordable marketing services that don’t compromise on quality. Contact us today at 410-925-2454 to get started.
