Discover how to define your brand with this simple 3-step guide to creating a brand identity.
Branding is important for any business. It will help your company look more professional, stand out from competitors, and develop a recognizable presence in the market. It becomes part of your company’s identity.
Most people only think of logos and color palettes while coming up with a branding design. While both of these are large components, there is more to it. The tone your company uses in its writing, the salespeople you hire to represent your company, what events you attend, etc. are all part of your company’s foundational branding.
Brand recognition is also a way to build customer loyalty and make your company memorable. So you should never underestimate the value of branding for your business.
So where do you start? Follow this 3-step guide to building a brand that effectively represents your business.
Step 1: Define your mission
What is your brand at the core? Start by defining what your business does and your advantages over your competitors. What service/product is your business selling? What are the key advantages you have over competitors? Getting clear on the goals of your business will help clarify them to your customers, as well as create a clear and consistent brand identity.
Step 2: Research the competition
Take a look at what branding your competitors have — not to get ideas, but just the opposite. You want to make sure your branding stands out from the crowd – especially if your industry is competitive. If everyone in your industry chooses a darker color palette, for example, consider a warmer one that will catch prospects’ eyes.
Step 3: Define your target market.
Who are you hoping to sell to? A company whose target market is older adults should have MUCH different branding than a company whose target market is teenagers.
Let me walk you through an example. Let’s say you own a bicycle shop. Let’s take a look at how these questions might play out in that context.
1. Define what your business does and what your advantages are over your competitors. You sell bikes. You are able to get higher quality bikes at a cheaper price than most of your competitors because of your great relationship with manufacturers.
2. Take a look at what branding your competitors have — not to get ideas, but just the opposite. Most of your competitors have very neutral colors and very professional, dry language in their promotions.
3. Define your target market. You sell to the active 20-something crowd that enjoys bike racing, triathlons etc.
Based on these findings, you’d want to highlight that your bikes have higher value than competitor bikes in your copy. You may also want to play with cheeky design and copy to stand out, such as brighter colors in your branding. This playful sort of branding seems like it would resonate well with your target group as well.
These simple steps should help brainstorm ideas to create your brand identity. Think about the way color, images, messaging, even your brand name all represent your brand. This helps build effective brand awareness that represents your company’s mission.
Ready to set up and define your branding? Contact us at Inkwell Content & Marketing today to get started.
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