Creating a distinguishable brand is a challenging endeavor, starting from scratch. What should its appearance be like? How should it evoke emotions in people? Will it connect effectively with my intended demographic?
When you begin considering how to establish a connection between your product/service and your target audience, certain questions are bound to arise. To initiate this process, refer to our guide on starting a business.
If you only have a business idea or want to change your current branding design, here are the essential details you should be aware of when it comes to establishing a powerful brand identity for your business.
1. Research your target audience and your competitors
In order to make any decisions regarding the creation of a business brand, it is essential to first have a comprehensive understanding of the current market, which includes identifying your potential customers and existing competitors.
There are numerous methods to accomplish this task.
- Google your product or service category and analyze the direct and indirect competitors that come up.
- Check subreddits that relate to your customers and eavesdrop on their conversations and product recommendations.
- Talk to people who are part of your target market and ask them what brands they buy from in your space.
- Look at the relevant social media accounts or pages your target audience follows and are receptive to.
- Go shopping online or offline and get a feel for how your customers would browse and buy products.
As you conduct your research, take note of:
- Who your “lowest hanging fruit” customers are—the ones you could most easily sell to
- Who your top-of-mind competitors are—the brands that are established and known in the market
- How your customers speak and what they talk about—the interests they have and the language they express them in
Before proceeding, it is crucial to understand this concept well, as it will determine the areas on which your brand should concentrate and the unique position it can establish compared to competitors.
2. Pick your focus and personality
At the beginning, it is impossible to create a brand that appeals to everyone.
When building your brand, it is crucial to identify your focus and use it as a guiding influence for every other aspect.
To help you consider the focus and tone of your brand, here are a few questions and branding exercises to guide your thinking.
What’s your positioning statement?
A positioning statement, which can be one or two lines, asserts your claim in the market. It is not mandatory to display it on your website or business card, but it serves the purpose of guiding you in answering relevant questions about your brand and assists in developing your brand’s tagline.
Identifying your unique value proposition is crucial as it is what sets you apart from your competition. Once you determine it, fully embrace and incorporate it into your brand’s communication.
If your company has a cause at its core, such as being a social enterprise, you can express this as a mission statement that makes a definitive commitment to your customers or the world.
What words would you associate with your brand?
When considering how to develop your brand, it can be helpful to envision your brand as an individual. How would this person behave and what type of personality would resonate with your customers?
In order to develop a consistent voice on social media and maintain a coherent tone across all creative elements, it is important to think through each step and rephrase the following text without altering or omitting any information.
To begin the process of creating a new brand, a beneficial and enjoyable exercise involves presenting three to five adjectives that capture the type of brand that will truly connect with your target audience. I have gathered this compilation of characteristics to assist you in initiating this endeavor.
3. Create your Brand’s Visuals and Marketing Materials
Humans rely on their eyes and perception to trust and follow what is around them, making us visual creatures. This is why good design can have a greater impact than we usually acknowledge. When establishing your brand identity, you will require the following:
Logos
A trustworthy logo is essential for your small company as it serves to differentiate it from competitors and represents the essence of your company. It plays a vital role in identifying your brand, encompassing its main principles and goals to attract potential clients and increase brand recognition.
Business cards
It is a common practice in the corporate world to exchange business cards. Wouldn’t it be more reassuring if the design of the card truly reflected your brand? With a refined and appealing design, it could not only provide essential contact information like email, phone number, and address, but also showcase your company’s personality and corporate image.
Brochures
As a business owner, a great advantage of using brochures is the ability to summarize extensive information into a concise document. Moreover, brochures with folding designs allow you to depict your products and services on both the inside and outside flaps, enabling the inclusion of more details compared to other printed materials such as flyers, postcards, and letters.
Let’s keep it to ourselves, but we can effectively reach potential customers by utilizing our established company to print and distribute materials featuring our produced designs. It is also a cost-effective approach.
Flyers
Ensuring your marketing campaign is successful requires a well-designed flyer that is both visually attractive and easy to read, in order to captivate the audience immediately. Research reveals that approximately 80% of respondents report improved retention of information when reading it on paper. Flyers offer a cost-effective method for satisfying existing customers while also attracting new ones, with studies demonstrating their ability to enhance brand engagement.
4. Social media
Social media platforms are currently the primary data source used for guiding company decisions. The majority of participants (85%) agree that social data will have the upper hand in corporate intelligence in the future. Therefore, promoting your brand through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or even YouTube is an excellent strategy for effectively engaging your target audience with valuable content.
5. Establish Yourself as an Expert in your Field
Now is your opportunity to tailor and customize your brand image and communications to create the perception that your business is led by knowledgeable professionals in the industry.
Although it may appear to be a daunting task, we have found that pre-made templates are the ideal solution. With our wide range of formats, you can discover all your advertisements and announcements in astonishing customizable designs on Wepik.
6. Look for Partnership Opportunities
In order to expand their audience and increase market sales, businesses should seek to collaborate with other companies or enterprises. However, finding a suitable partner can be challenging, as not all companies are compatible and not all partnerships begin smoothly.
Enduring and experiencing as many challenges as possible will provide valuable lessons to absorb and consider as your business expands.
7. Apply your branding across your business
Applying your branding consistently throughout your business ensures a unified brand story that defines the identity and values of your business. This brand story establishes a foundation for all customer interactions with your brand, whether they occur in-store or online.
Shopify’s research revealed that when first-time online shoppers are looking for a business to trust, they often seek out the company’s mission and purpose to determine if they align with their own values, particularly in terms of sustainability. To gain a deeper understanding of the business and its operations, these shoppers will frequently visit the About Us page. For socially conscious customers, it is important to showcase your brand story as it can provide reassurance that your business is authentic.
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