Starting a business is hard work. But it’s also incredibly rewarding, not to mention exciting. As an entrepreneur, you wear many hats and are responsible for everything from marketing and sales to operations and finance. One of the most important — and often challenging — aspects of running your own business is creating a strong brand that resonates with customers and represents your company’s core. Here are some tips for designing your new business brand.
Get Professional Help
Just because you have a company name does not mean you already have a brand. If that statement confuses you, it proves why you need help from the experts. An innovative advertising and marketing agency will help you create a brand identity that reflects your company’s unique value proposition.
A good agency will also ensure that your branding is consistent across all touchpoints, from your website and social media to sales collateral and customer service.
You might now think that hiring an agency is the only thing you need to do. You can’t just leave everything to them. They need your input to fully grasp your vision for your company and brand.
Conversely, you also need to understand the entire process of creating a brand so that you can provide them with relevant inputs. Also, you must understand what you are approving every step of the way. Your complete involvement will ensure that the resulting brand genuinely embodies your company and what it stands for.
Do Your Research
Creating a strong brand requires a deep understanding of your target market, your competition, and your own business. Take the time to research your industry, understand the needs of your target market, and determine what makes your company unique. This research will be the foundation on which you build your brand.
Your agency can help you design the research techniques you can use. This can include surveys and focus group discussions among others.
Define Your Core Values
What are the core values that drive your business? Is it quality, innovation, customer service, or something else entirely? Once you know what you stand for as a company and communicate this clearly to your agency, they can start to develop messaging and visuals that reflect these values.
Your core values will also help you attract the right employees, partners, and customers. These are the people who will share your vision for the company and help you build a strong brand.
Develop a Visual Identity
Your visual identity is one of the most important aspects of your branding. It includes everything from your logo and color palette to your typography and imagery. Everything should be carefully considered to create a cohesive look that reflects your brand personality.
When your agency presents you with all of these, ask for the explanations behind each choice. That will help you evaluate whether each element truly reflects your brand. Also, go with your gut feeling on how you react to the visuals. After all, your company and your brand must also be a genuine reflection of who you are.
Once you have developed your visual identity, be sure your agency uses it consistently across all touchpoints, from your website and social media to sales collateral and marketing materials.
Create a Voice for Your Brand
Just like individuals, brands have their own personalities. This is reflected in the language they use, which should be consistent across all communications.
Your brand voice should be reflected in everything from the copy on your website to the posts you share on social media. It should be used in your sales and marketing materials, as well as in customer service communications.
That is also why it is vital to work with one agency for all of your advertising and marketing needs. It will ensure consistency in your brand’s voice
Test Your Brand
Before launching your brand, it’s important to test it with your target market. This will help you ensure that your brand resonates with them and that they understand what your company stands for.
You can test your brand in many ways, from surveys and focus groups to social media ads and Google AdWords campaigns.
Your agency should be able to help you develop a testing plan and interpret the results so that you can make any necessary adjustments to your branding before launch.
Be Proud of Your Brand
These are just some things you need to do to create a strong brand for your new business. By working closely with an experienced agency, you can ensure that your branding accurately reflects your company and resonates with your target market.
Developing a strong brand takes time, effort, and commitment. But it’s worth it if you want to build a company that customers will love and employees will be proud to work for.
