Creating an identity for your business is just as important for SME’s as it is for the big boys. Without branding, you will struggle to promote the unique aspects of your business and position it in the market. A brand should be seen as a way of life, not just a logo. So read on to find out how to go about creating your brand identity.
Define your Brand
Before you get started on actually building a brand, you need to spend some time thinking about your business as a whole. Ask yourself who your market is, what makes your business unique, the kind of image you want to convey, and your business values. It can be helpful to think of it as a person with a personality – you can then start to express that personality through your branding.
Design your Brand
Remember that your brand is more than your logo – it represents your entire business and its values, so all of your design and content needs to reflect this. Customer expectations are now far greater than ever before, so the image your company conveys must express a strong and stylish identity that your customers want to buy into.
Be Consistent in Design and Communication
Brand consistency is key across all your marketing platforms, so a good designer will ensure that all design is consistent. This helps to avoid sending out confusing messages and keeps the brand identity intact so customers remember you. Bear in mind however that brand refers not only to design but the style, tone, and voice of your business also. So any content you create needs to match the overall personality of your company as a whole. If you have branded yourself as a fresh and fun business with a youthful customer base for example, then your content too should be fresh and fun. Dull web content with no personality will only harm your brand, so if you struggle with writing in a particular ‘voice’ then you can employ a copywriter to do this for you.
Marketing your Brand
The same applies to marketing your brand. All of your marketing efforts should express your brand personality. Social media is all about engagement, and customers now expect brands to engage with them throughout the buying process and beyond. So stay available, helpful, authentic, relevant, and on message. Use social media and content marketing as a chance to position yourself as an authority, confirm your credibility, provide useful and/or engaging information and motivate your customers – all at the same time as subtly expressing the core values of your brand identity. Don’t forget to use visuals in keeping with your brand to drive home brand identity through the power of images.
About the Author
Wendy Lin is a successful entrepreneur and painter. She enjoys freelance writing and specializes in guest blogging. Her family is from China, but she grew up in the states and recently moved to England for a quieter lifestyle.
Photo credit: See-ming Lee
