- Sarah Lindsey
Building Your Brand
Brand… how can one word encompass SO much? In today’s business world branding is at the forethought of many, many decisions, and since the pandemic that has only appeared to be more true. If you’re reading this article then you are probably wondering where you should begin building your brand. Whether you’ve been in business for years or are just starting these tips will help you to define your brand and build recognition.
“Start by knowing what you want and who you are, build credibility around it and deliver it in a compelling way,” said Krista Neher, a bestselling digital marketing author. The first step in defining your brand is defining your brand identity. Your identity is made up of what you say, what your values are, how you communicate about your product or service, and how you want people to interact with your brand. Think of it as defining your brand’s personality. An easy way to begin identifying your brand is to think of a list of words you would want to be associated with your brand and to go from there.
“The most important thing to remember is you must know your audience” – Lewis Howes. This and step 1 go hand in hand. Who would be the target audience for the brand you created in step 1? What kinds of things do they enjoy? What do they hate? Why are they interested in your product? By researching your target audience you’ll feel better prepared to make decisions about your brand because you will know what appeals to your consumers!
“Brand is the sum total of how someone perceives a particular organization. Branding is about shaping that perception,”- Ashley Friedlein. Image is literally EVERYTHING in the day of social media. Create an appealing aesthetic for your brand with the right business name, logo, and colors. This is the face of your company and how it looks will alter perception.
“Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability,”- Jason Hartman. When identifying your brand you created values and promises to your clients and a big part of branding is delivering on those promises. At the end of the day how well you treat clients and live up to their expectations will become a big part of public perception and ultimately your brand. Become the company you want to be reflected in your Google Reviews.
“Branding demands commitment; commitment to continual re-invention; striking chords with people to stir their emotions; and commitment to imagination. It is easy to be cynical about such things, much harder to be successful.” -Sir Richard Branson. A brand must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and be willing to, sometimes, reinvent itself. Think of popular brands like Coca-Cola and Apple, over the years they have changed and redefined themselves all while remaining relevant within their target audiences. Evolving your brand and shaping it to fit whatever is best at the moment will help you to create a truly memorable brand.
The most important aspect of branding your company is to begin, as Richie Norton once said “If you don’t build a personal brand, someone else will brand you with the wrong label.” These steps are great for beginning to define your brand's personality, the rest will come over time as you are willing to evolve with your target audience.
*This article was inspired by a post from 99Designs blog. To read their article click here.