Did you know that people have to be exposed to a brand 5 to 7 times to remember it? This means your branding needs to be strong, consistent, and everywhere. Knowing where to start with branding your company can be murky, which is why we’ve created this ultimate guide to branding your business.
What is Branding?
Branding is the essence of your company. It’s those visual and audio cues, like company name, slogan, and logo, that stick in the buyer’s mind. Branding is what keeps your company relevant in the consumer’s mind and worthy of discussion. It encompasses your brand’s mission, the value your product or service gives, and what makes you different from the pack.
Why is Branding Important?
As we said, consumers need to be exposed 5-7 times to a brand before remembering it. You can cut down that number by having a distinctive brand that speaks for itself. Also, having a specific branding strategy for your company can help attract the right customers, develop a loyal clientele, and spread the word to others. Your branding is what people will remember and keeps them coming back time and time again.
Steps to Build a Brand
With all that being said, how do you even begin to craft a brand? Branding takes time. Once you select a name, logo, and slogan, they have to stick. Changing up your visual and audio messaging will confuse buyers. After all, consistency and exposure help build a brand. Branding starts with research first and foremost before moving into design. Follow these steps to craft a successful brand before posting your first product.
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Know Your Audience
Branding is used to cater to and appeal to your audience. In order for it to effectively do this, you must know your audience well. You can accomplish this by establishing an ideal customer profile. Who is your average customer? Consider their age, gender, economic status, and other demographics. Also, consider their wants and desires and other non-physical attributes. This information will help create a brand image that is consistent with the customers who buy your product.
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Know Your “Why”
After you’ve determined who you’re selling to, establish why you’re creating the product or service in the first place. Similar to a company’s mission statement, your “why” determines what your brand highlights and works toward. It also lets your customers know why it’s essential that they buy your product. You have to believe in your company’s purpose in order for anyone else to.
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Know Your Brand’s Personality
Your target audience will essentially decide your brand’s personality. Now that you have a clear idea of your audience, you can build a brand that aligns with their values. For instance, if you sell running shoes, your brand’s personality may be active, energetic, determined, and persistent. These characteristics can carry over to your name, logo, slogan, and other elements. Take Nike, for instance. Their brand is centered around active go-getters. Their slogan, “Just do it,” speaks to their overall brand personality.
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Create Your Name and Slogan
Now that you have a good idea of your audience and purpose for your brand, it’s time to create your company’s name. You’ll want your name to be creative enough to stick out but simple enough to be remembered. Apple is an excellent example of a name that’s creatively simple. It’s easy to spell and a generic word that everyone knows. However, it’s unique because it’s not a food company, but a technology one. It stands out in the consumer’s mind. The same goes for your slogan. Remember to encompass your company’s “why” in the slogan.
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Craft the Visual Elements
Every profile and website you create should have the visual element that makes up your brand. Along with the words that define your brand, you’ll need images, such as logos and graphics that let the customer easily recognize your company. Stick to less than three colors for your visual elements and use them consistently.
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Create Content for Your Brand
Lastly, your content needs to align with your company. In today’s global market, content on social media is what gets you brand recognition. Craft content that your audience will want to see and share. This content can be in the form of blog posts, pictures, videos, and other forms of media that relate to your product or service.
Stay Consistent and Creative
Large companies like Nike and Apple weren’t born overnight. Strong messaging, products, and consistency were what built these brands to the level they’re at now. Stay creative, true to your brand’s mission, and consistent in your branding, and in no time, your influence will spread.