Starting your business is already hard enough, let alone making a brand out of it. The first questions you should answer in your business plan are who you will be and how you will make people feel. At the base level, these questions will get the ball rolling for your business.
As an established brand, clients can tell you apart from the others. However, considering that there are millions of pre-existing brands, you have to channel all your energy. Your brand should emanate value and quality to all those who come across it.
The following are the possible ways to go about brand creation:
- Conduct Research in Your Audience and Rivals
Analyzing competitors is quite daunting for first-time business owners; the wise option is to hire a branding and design agency. Your competition determines how customers perceive you because they assess your performance relative to your rivals’. The next step is to determine the people most likely to buy your product (target audience) and analyze their conversations on social media platforms to decode their interests.
If your business is already up and running, your target audience will be your current customers. Ensure you study the population demographic your clients come from, their preferences, and age bracket. Afterward, your products should cater to their every need.
Your competitors are also an excellent source of insight. Strive to learn from their mistakes and fill the market gaps they may have left. Furthermore, you want to avoid any copyright violations as you develop your business brand. Unfortunately, you can lose everything you have achieved to copyright lawsuits.
- Outline Your Focus and Personality
Firstly, develop a proposition statement, it does not have to be on your website, but it is the foundation of your business tag line. For instance, when starting a hair product business, clearly outline the additional service you offer compared to your rivals.
Secondly, pick words that summarize the objectives of your business. The simplest way to deduce these adjectives is to assume your business is a person and describe them. This description is fundamental when selecting a key opinion leader in the future.
Lastly, pick a metaphor that creates a mental picture of your business in your clients’ minds. For instance, a lion signifies power and strength. However, in the modern world, your business metaphor should not be a cliché but relatable.
- Choose Your Business Name and Other Identifiers
Your business name should be as catchy as possible so that customers get tempted to inquire about your products/services. After that, pick a slogan for your business to make an impression. This slogan can be a metaphor, capture the customers’ attitude, have a rhyme, or have a literal description. Under naming, the question of fonts comes up. To answer this inquiry, use conceivable fonts for your name.
Secondly, select your colors and font. These two should be unique to your business, do not confuse potential clients. There is proof that color cannot directly influence customers to buy a product, but don’t rule out this assumption. For instance, if you saw a brand with your favorite color, the temptation to buy from them is higher than if you reversed the scenario.
Thirdly, the logo is the most prominent brand identifier your clients will come across. Make it memorable so that when your target audience sees it, they immediately associate it with your brand. Take time on the logo design; if possible, hire professionals.
Lastly, the next step is applying all your business identifiers to your website, physical premises, and email salutation. Also, include a brand story. It should explain why you started your business and how you influence your customers. Your brand story will bond your clients to you for a lifetime. For example, Coca-Cola is not the healthiest drink, but its promise of bringing friends together for fun is timeless.
- Grow Your Brand
The steps above are mere steps, and they are quite simple to undertake. However, the real work goes into building your brand towards becoming a powerhouse. During this period, you will gain more customers and partnerships. However, ensure you retain consistency within your brand as you adjust to growth.
Embrace new techniques of reaching your customers and encompassing their needs within your brand. Through all this, keep in mind that you cannot control how people perceive your brand. Some individuals will not like your products or services; take their criticism but do not get bothered. Also, make decisions according to your brand objectives, not as a way of accommodating complaints. Instead, focus all your efforts on sustaining your core audience; they propel your business forward.
