How to brand your small business
Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, large or small.
Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be. - entrepreneur.com
The foundation of your brand includes your logo, your website, packaging and promotional materials-everything you use to communicate your brand.
To brand your business you need to define it:
What is your company's mission? Goals? Objectives?
What are you selling? What problems are you solving? What are the benefits?
What do your customers and prospects already think of your company?
What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?
After you’ve defined it you need to figure out how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. What will you communicate visually and verbally as part of your brand?
Here are questions to ask yourself about the visual aspect of your brand:
Logo:
What colours do you want to associate with your brand?
Do you have a particular logo in mind?
Shapes?
Typography?
Brand Message:
What do you want your brand voice to sound like? Cute & Quirky? Luxurious? Serious?
What type stories do you want your brand to evoke and share?
How do you want your customers to feel or relate to your brand message or story?
Visual Communication:
How will you market your brand? What social media platform is your brand going to make the most of?
Letterhead? Business Cards, Email signatures? Do they all reflect your brand? Do you have a company profile that showcases your brand’s objectives and services really well? Do your quotations and invoice templates represent the brand at all?
When you’ve figured that out, design templates that you can use to share your message or information/ hire a designer to create material for you that can last you years. Just make sure your logo and brand message is communicated well.
Stay Consistent:
After you’ve determined all of the above, stay true to your brand - deliver on your brand promise.
Remember:
An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets.
For consultation, email: betty@besomedia.studio