How to effectively brand your business

Think of branding as a way to identify your business. How you want your clients to see and experience products/services that you offer. How you want to be perceived.

With so much competition in the business world, we all know how important it is to correctly brand your business. Branding can make your business stand out in a pool of competitors, it can give you a voice and even express your personality.

People don’t buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic.

Seth Godin

A strong brand can help your business attract new clients and retain existing ones. It can be used in your advertising strategy and on your marketing materials. But how do you build a strong brand?

Research your market.

Start by looking at your competitors. Figure out what they are doing that gets them results that you would want to implement into your business.

Know your target audience.

Your target audience are your potential clients. This means age, gender, job positions, geographical location, hobbies and so much more can go into audience research. In short, who are your products and services for?

Consider your entire business.

When branding your business, your logo won’t be the only thing that defines you. Branding also includes;

• Your business name
• Your customer service style
• Your business card
• Your marketing material
• Your social media platforms

Tell your story.

The easiest and most promising way to build a successful brand is by telling your story through it. People love it when you get personal. Give your brand a face, a voice and a personality. This will attract an additional group of audience who can relate to your story.

Create a brand guideline.

Seek professional help! While it might be easier to whip up your own logo, there is so much more you can get if you work with a professional.

A brand guideline will provide you with everything that you can use for advertising and marketing your business. It will make it easier for you to work with any designer in the future because they will have something to work with and your brand won’t seem different.

Make sure you are consistent on how you use your brand. Have colours, fonts and a communication style that represents you.