Branding is a word that’s been used for hundreds of years, but what does it really mean, and why is it so important?
For any business, your brand (which is essentially your guarantee to your customers) is everything, and having a branding strategy is essential for you to be competitive. Your brand sends a message: who you are, what you really offer, and why what you offer is better than the competition. Your brand is you, and your brand must be in alignment with what your customers expect you to be.
What’s in a Brand?
Your brand is represented in many ways and across myriad communication mediums. These include (but are not limited to) your website, your graphics, your tagline, your logo, your message, your marketing materials…
Your brand is also significantly shaped by the strategy behind it, meaning, the many considerations that go into having a brand or a business: who your customers are and what they care about (and where they ‘hang out’); how you should appear visually and the verbal message you intend; your sales distribution channels; and when and where you communicate. All of this, once decided upon and implemented, creates a brand perception that drives audiences to you and keeps them there.
How to Start Branding Your Business
It can be simpler than you think to create your brand presence. The following steps can help you get started.
Give your brand an official definition. (Example: my brand is a low-cost alternative to traditional car-leasing options.)
Outline the elements of your brand that are bigger/better/less expensive/etc. than the competition.
Define what your target customers want and need; this information should drive what you commit to and deliver.
Develop your marketing:
Design and design templates: Logo, color scheme, font, website, social media, collateral materials, e-newsletter. Be consistent and repetitive so that your visual imprint becomes easily recognizable.
Content/message: Tagline, key messages, established tone of “voice,” website, social media, collateral materials, e-newsletter.
Make good on your promises--deliver what you commit to in your offering, each and every time.
We hope these initial tips will get you started, or perhaps serve as a gentle reminder of the basics of branding. Your brand is all you have, so doing it right is mandatory!