As a startup entrepreneur, you will likely have a lot on your plate already. From raising funds to building your team and product, there are a million things to do and think about. But in the midst of all this, don’t forget the importance of branding!
A strong brand can differentiate between a successful startup and one that fails. It can help you attract the right talent, partners, and customers. And in a world with so many choices, a good brand can make you stand out from the rest.
However, with everything that you have to think about, where do you start? This article is a starter guide for early entrepreneurs on building a brand for their startup. It covers the basics you need to know about branding. So stick around!
Branding is your business’s broad concept or image that links to your product. It also affects how your customers view your product in their minds.
Your brand includes your company’s name, logo, and other distinctive elements that reflect its character. This will distinguish you from competing items on the market. Your audience will also favor your brand over competitors if it is well-developed and appeals to them.
Hence building your brand is very crucial for every startup. One must know about it or get a startup branding agency to help make your brand. This will give a solid ground for your startup.
Making it simpler for customers to recognize your company at a glance requires choosing your brand’s visual identity. For instance, what kind of packaging do you intend to use for your products?
When clients place orders from your e-commerce business, how will they be able to recognize your package? What will they see as they search for products on your website?
Hence, to create a distinctive and long-lasting image in the marketplace, brand building is vital. Brand building is raising awareness of your firm through strategies and initiatives. It is in three phases;
A brand strategy will show how you stand out from the competition. It shows how dependable and memorable you will be in the eyes of your ideal client. It will also explain your goals, commitments, and approach to helping others.
When building a brand from scratch, you need a plan, which is all that brand strategy is about. For instance, you can only make a house with a design or plans; else, it won’t work.
Your brand, too, can suffer from the same problem. So consider brand strategy as the road map for how you want the public to perceive your company.
The following elements should be a part of any successful brand strategy:
So building a great brand needs a solid brand strategy. But, most businesses skip over it in favor of design and marketing. So, while they are crucial, brand strategy is vital.
Your brand identity is how you communicate this to the public through imagery, messaging, and experiences. Your brand strategy will show how you express your identity. It also connects to your purpose for maximum impact.
Applying your brand identity components consistently across all media is vital. It’s how customers will recognize your company.
This also applies to your:
Brand marketing is a technique used by companies to draw attention. It also raises awareness of goods and services by connecting the brand to the right audience through tactful communication.
So one can get aid from various startup digital marketing agency actions, and your brand image will be visible.
Building a brand does not happen in one day. You have to take it to step by step to build the brand you want. Hence, here are some steps you can use in building a brand:
How your brand looks is very vital, especially to your clients. You do not want to have a dull appeal. Hence you have to put in elements that will bring life to your business.
So some of the essential elements of your brand look include:
Also, after picking the color, ensure you stick to that color. It helps build your identity with your clients. For example, blue is a fine color for the fashion industry and green and yellow are good for the food industry.
For instance, if your business gives off a formal style like education, it is advisable to use serif fonts. One can also use handwritten or San serif to make it look unique and creative if you are in the food or fashion industry.
When choosing images, pick one that tells people what you sell or you do at first glance. It should be attractive and creative. For instance, if you make clothes, choose pictures that have clothes, tools used in making clothes plus a write-up explaining what you do.
Once you have all the necessary parts of developing your brand identity, make a set of visual guidelines. This will serve as a guide for your team and any designers you hire.
Knowing your target audience is crucial when creating your brand. Consider the things you’ll be offering and the target market for them. Be as explicit as possible when selecting the client.
For instance, a business selling clothes could concentrate on male or female clothing. They could also pick if it’s casual or corporate clothing. By picking a particular niche, you will face smaller competition.
Also, you can connect with potential customers by selecting the appropriate brand voice, design, and marketing plan with the aid of the target audience. You may improve your understanding of your audience by:
A strong phrase can help people remember your product, while a strong logo can make your brand more visually appealing. Thus, even if people only see your logo, they will immediately connect it to you.
A logo communicates a brand’s image and personality. To ensure that your logo is stylish, practical, and well-made during this phase, you might speak with a qualified designer or brand agency.
A qualified designer can offer guidance on issues like font, color, logo size, iconography, and overall design. Also, they will assist you in creating a logo that matches or reflects your company’s name.
Moreso, use a brief and memorable phrase as your slogan to give your brand an edge during marketing campaigns. Of course, since it’s a temporary aspect of your brand, you can modify it as needed. But picking one can stick to it and keep the consistent flow.
To engage with your audience and effectively convey what you have to offer, business storytelling supports your brand. So how did your company get its start? Possibly in your house. Did you encounter any challenges?
Make a captivating story out of your collected thoughts. It will help build trust and uniqueness—post about it on your about page, on social media, and even in a book.
The way you display yourself both online and offline is your branding. It is your reputation. It is also what people say and thinks about your company.
So after you’ve put in the effort, remember to safeguard your brand. To prevent others from using your design and copy, employ patents, copyrights, and trademarks.
Daniel Martin loves building winning content teams. Over the past few years, he has built high-performance teams that have produced engaging content enjoyed by millions of users. After working in the Aviation industry for 9 years, today Dani applies his international team-building experience in LinkDoctor to assist in solving his client’s challenges. Dan also enjoys photography and playing the carrom board.