It doesn't matter whether you're a small business or a major corporation – creating a strong brand that is unique, recognisable, and memorable can make all the difference in standing out AND attracting potential clients.
But, how do you go about creating a strong brand?
Well, lucky for you, I have some tips and tricks to help get your brand off the ground. So, buckle up and get ready to take your brand to the next level!
First up, What is a Brand?
I've said it before and I'll say it again…
“A Brand is more than just a logo”
Your brand is the overall perception that people have of your business – it's an experience. It's everything involved when people interact with your business, your people, your products or services. This goes from the colours you use, all the way through to how you make them feel.
Plus, your brand embodies the values that are important to your business. And it should be consistent across all aspects of your business.
So, when we talk about creating a strong brand identity, we're talking about creating a strong, consistent perception of your business in the minds of your ideal clients.
Define your vision, mission and values.
Now, before we dive into the nitty-gritty of branding, let's talk about your vision, mission and values.
Your vision, mission and values are the foundation of your brand. Your vision is what your business is all about. It's all about what, ultimately, your vision of the world and the part your business plays in it is. Your mission, simply put, is how you're gong to achieve your vision. .
And your values are the guiding principles that drive your vision, mission, and business.
When you have a clear understanding of your vision, mission and values, it makes it a lot easier to make decisions and create a consistent message for your brand.
Understanding your ideal clients
Once you've got that mission and values sorted, it's time to start communicating them to your target market. And that means you need to know who your ideal client is. Understanding your ideal clients is crucial for creating a brand that resonates with them.
Figure out who you want to attract. Who are they? What do they care about? What do they need? What they're interested in? Where they hang out? And all that good stuff. Read more about working out who your ideal clients are here.
Consistency Across All Platforms
Now, let's talk about the visual side of branding.
A strong brand identity is consistent across all platforms. This means that whether someone is seeing your logo on your website, your business card, or your social media page, it should be instantly recognisable as your brand.
To make sure this consistency is achieved, it's worthwhile investing in a brand style guide. This guide should include things like your colour scheme, typography, imagery, and tone of voice.
Once you have this guide in place, it makes being consistent with your branding much easier. In other words, your brand style guide helps you to make sure that everything you put out there is on-brand.
Communicating your brand
Once you've identified your ideal clients and developed your brand, it's time to start communicating with them.
That means consistently delivering your brand across all platforms – from your website to email newsletters, social media posts and event attendance.
Regardless of the platform, you want to be delivering high quality, consistent content that reinforces and strengthens your brand identity.
Examples of Successful Brands
And finally, don't forget to look at how other successful brands have created their own identity and use them as inspiration. Apple, Nike and McDonalds are all great examples of strong brand identities that have stood the test of time.
Let's look at Apple, for instance. Their mission is simple: to create innovative products that inspire creativity and enrich lives. And their core values – such as design and innovation – reflect that mission. Every piece of content they create is designed to reinforce their core message, from their product packaging to their digital campaigns.
A few more tips to making your mark with a strong brand!
- Research your competition. Get insight into what their branding looks like so you know what will differentiate yours from theirs.
- Set a budget and timeline – this will help you stay in control of the process and ensure that you end up with an identity that fits your vision.
- Build relationships with designers – they can help bring your brand to life.
So, there you have it, a crash course in branding 101.
Remember, building a strong brand identity takes time and consistency. Keep your mission and values at the forefront of all decision making and consistently communicate your message to your target audience. And most importantly, have fun with it!
