If you plan to open a small business in the coming months, it can be overwhelming thinking about the number of things you need to do before you launch. One of the most important things you will want to establish is a brand for your company.
What is a brand?
Many people think a brand is just your logo. However, a brand is so much more than that. A company’s brand includes the logo, font, and color choices. A brand also has a personality and is how people perceive you when they interact with your business. Just like people, companies can make impressions and have a reputation that can be positive or negative. Building your brand and being consistent with it will only help to grow your business.
How to establish your brand from scratch
Research your target audience.
Before you can start creating your brand, you want to determine your target audience. You can do this through researching online, doing in-person surveys, or acting as a customer yourself.
Look at your competitors’ social media accounts and websites. How do their customers perceive them, and what would make you different from them? Research customer reviews on the product and service you are selling that may be available through other companies.
Researching your target audience will give you a good idea of how to move forward with creating your brand and where you should focus.
Decide on your personality and voice.
Creating a mission statement can be a great way to establish who you are and your company’s personality. What is your brand all about, and who is it targeted toward? Figure out what words you would associate with your brand. Is your brand serious or fun? What kind of traits does your brand have? Determining these ideas will help you create your brand personality and voice.
Create a slogan.
Although it is not necessarily needed, a slogan is an excellent asset to have. A good slogan should be catchy and make a good first impression. Your slogan can be used on your website, social media taglines, business cards, etc.
Decide on the look of your brand.
Now it’s time to figure out what colors and font you want to use. You want to make sure whatever you pick will be easy to read in different situations, such as on a website, social media, or something bigger like a billboard or poster. It’s essential to be consistent.
Design your logo.
When you think about a brand, the logo is probably the first thing you think about. It’s the first thing most people see when it comes to a brand. It’s literally the face of your brand. When you are designing your brand, you want to create something that is identifiable and unique. You want to make sure it can be used in all different sizes, both large and small. Remember that if you use your logo as an avatar on your social media, it will be hard to see any words in your logo. Need a logo designed, contact us.
Apply your brand.
Once you have all the above worked out, it’s time to apply your brand! Be consistent with your fonts, colors, and personality in all the different areas you will be using your brand. This includes on your website, social media, in your storefront, and on any collateral.
As time goes on, your brand will evolve, and maybe sometimes, even change. Hopefully, the above instructions can get you started with creating your brand for your new business.
Looking for more marketing tips? Sign up for our newsletter and receive weekly tips sent straight to your inbox every week!
