There are so many things to think about when starting a small business that new owners often overlook or abbreviate the branding process. While branding may seem like the icing on the cake, it is actually the baking powder and eggs that ensures the cake does not fold in on itself in the oven.
Any new or existing business can not grow without going through a branding process. The branding process ensures that your company is not just the product you sell, the people that work for you, and the walls of your office. Branding creates an identity, a personality, for the company you worked so hard to create.
Branding allows customers to connect with your company on a personal, as well as professional, level. We know the importance of branding, and we want to share what we know. Check out these tips, below, for branding your small business.
1. Hire a Branding Expert and / or Do Your Research
If you have the funds to hire a branding expert, do it. Good brands have spent years studying what works for different businesses and different industries. They have a wealth of knowledge that you can not replicate in a few months of doing research. They know the right questions to ask and the right way to position your company for success.
Not every new business can afford to bring on a branding agency or consultant. If it's just not in the cards for your first year, do your research. Read books about branding and marketing, surf the Internet for tips of the trade, and study successful companies in your industry. The more time you spend studying the competition and learning about successful branding techniques, the more likely that you will not make rookie mistakes.
2. Invest in Your Visual Identity
Your logo and stationery package is not just an annoying necessity. It is the first thing people see in relation to your company. It is your chance to make a great first impression. So, make sure that you invest the time and resources it describes. Do not just have your brother-in-law's graphic designer cousin create something in a couple of hours that does not represent who your company is or where you want it to be a year from now. Your logo, stationery package, collateral, and website design should be consistent with each other and with your brand's identity. These elements are too important to leave to chance.
Many agencies and freelance designers have special rates for start-ups. Make sure to do your research and find a great graphic designer that understands the importance of brand personality and promise in relation to your company's graphic elements.
3. Keep it Simple, Start-Up
Your company's message should be straightforward. Do not complicate your tagline with unnecessary adjectives. Keep your mission statement to 3 sentences. Today's consumer is more easily distracted than any previous generation. You have only seconds to catch their attention. So, make sure your messaging is simple and snappy enough to hold a prospective customer's attention long enough for he / she figure out who your company is and why you're different / better.
4. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency
Do not change your logo's color on every piece of collateral. Make sure to use the same fonts on each datasheet, brochure, and business card. Spell your name the same each and every time. While it's tempting to change it up (hey, we all get bored sometimes), building brand equity is a slow process that can be reversed in seconds. People associate your brand with the colors, fonts, typeface, and graphics that you use. Changing any of these elements signals to consumers that this company does not have it together and therefore can not be trusted with their business.
