Branding Know-How for the New Entrepreneur
If you are a new small business owner, have you thought about how you want to brand your business? Maybe you’re a little uncertain about where to start, or what all is entailed in branding when it comes to a company and its marketing. There’s a lot to learn if you’re new to the small business game, but fortunately, much of it is intuitive and can be picked up quickly, especially if you have a clear understanding of your company product and your goals for your business.
What is branding?
Branding involves the logos, designs, slogans, and images you use to identify and advertise your business – but that’s not all it is. Ultimately, it is the overall “story” that your business tells and the way a potential customer experiences it. Branding is important both for capturing the interest and loyalty of a customer and for standing out from the competition. Here are some guidelines for branding best practices as well as for what to do if a project feels like it’s outside your competency.
Know your target audience.
In order to create a brand that adequately conveys the message you want to send, to the people you want to talk to, you need to understand who those people are, where to reach them, and how they tend to make purchases. Get a clear picture of the demographics of your target audience, including age, gender, income, education, and ethnicity. You should also find out some details about their real geographical location. And learn a little about how they think, too, including what they value, what kind of opinions they are likely to hold, and what their lifestyles are like. Also, try to put your finger on their buying habits. Askquestions about brand loyalty, and what type of products they’re likely to spend on.
Familiarize yourself with your competition.
There are several reasons why you should know your competition and be familiar with how they are branding themselves. First, this will help you to see how the most successful companies operate. It will also, on the flip side, help you pinpoint mistakes you want to avoid. In addition, once you see how other businesses in your industry are marketing themselves, you can look for niches to fill, so you aren’t simply duplicating what someone else is already offering. And finally, remember that when you compete with other businesses in a field, you are also collaborating with them – you are all, in a sense, working together to provide consumers with what they need, even while you compete with one another.
Determine your brand message.
If you are serious and passionate about your business and your product, you probably have a clear idea of what you are offering and why it matters. But have you succeeded in conveying what you understand about your company, into the message your branding conveys? You should be able to articulate, via your messaging, what the strengths and unique characteristics of your company and product are. In short, your brand should paint a picture of why a customer should want to do business with you.
Hire the right people.
Some of your branding projects, such as crafting a design brief, and taking care of your market research, you can probably do yourself. But when it comes to details like logo design, and correct use of graphics, you should consider hiring a professional graphic designer. It’s also a good idea to work with a talented copywriter unless you happen to be a professional writer yourself, to get the most out of your branding. Inspired Copywriting can help you with this and more.
Be willing to learn more if needed.
One quality of a great business leader is the willingness to be honest about one’s own strengths and weaknesses, so you know when you need to learn more or train to do better. Going back to school for a business-related degree can help you and your company rise to new levels, and if you enroll in an online school or program, you don’t even have to sacrifice work time or family time to acquire that helpful training.
Branding is crucial to a good marketing strategy, and without good marketing, your company will likely flounder. So take time to understand what branding involves, and to craft just the right brand for your business.
Image via Pixabay
What is branding?
Branding involves the logos, designs, slogans, and images you use to identify and advertise your business – but that’s not all it is. Ultimately, it is the overall “story” that your business tells and the way a potential customer experiences it. Branding is important both for capturing the interest and loyalty of a customer and for standing out from the competition. Here are some guidelines for branding best practices as well as for what to do if a project feels like it’s outside your competency.
Know your target audience.
In order to create a brand that adequately conveys the message you want to send, to the people you want to talk to, you need to understand who those people are, where to reach them, and how they tend to make purchases. Get a clear picture of the demographics of your target audience, including age, gender, income, education, and ethnicity. You should also find out some details about their real geographical location. And learn a little about how they think, too, including what they value, what kind of opinions they are likely to hold, and what their lifestyles are like. Also, try to put your finger on their buying habits. Askquestions about brand loyalty, and what type of products they’re likely to spend on.
Familiarize yourself with your competition.
There are several reasons why you should know your competition and be familiar with how they are branding themselves. First, this will help you to see how the most successful companies operate. It will also, on the flip side, help you pinpoint mistakes you want to avoid. In addition, once you see how other businesses in your industry are marketing themselves, you can look for niches to fill, so you aren’t simply duplicating what someone else is already offering. And finally, remember that when you compete with other businesses in a field, you are also collaborating with them – you are all, in a sense, working together to provide consumers with what they need, even while you compete with one another.
Determine your brand message.
If you are serious and passionate about your business and your product, you probably have a clear idea of what you are offering and why it matters. But have you succeeded in conveying what you understand about your company, into the message your branding conveys? You should be able to articulate, via your messaging, what the strengths and unique characteristics of your company and product are. In short, your brand should paint a picture of why a customer should want to do business with you.
Hire the right people.
Some of your branding projects, such as crafting a design brief, and taking care of your market research, you can probably do yourself. But when it comes to details like logo design, and correct use of graphics, you should consider hiring a professional graphic designer. It’s also a good idea to work with a talented copywriter unless you happen to be a professional writer yourself, to get the most out of your branding. Inspired Copywriting can help you with this and more.
Be willing to learn more if needed.
One quality of a great business leader is the willingness to be honest about one’s own strengths and weaknesses, so you know when you need to learn more or train to do better. Going back to school for a business-related degree can help you and your company rise to new levels, and if you enroll in an online school or program, you don’t even have to sacrifice work time or family time to acquire that helpful training.
Branding is crucial to a good marketing strategy, and without good marketing, your company will likely flounder. So take time to understand what branding involves, and to craft just the right brand for your business.
Image via Pixabay
About the author:
Rhonda is a classic example of a health scare leading to a complete lifestyle change. She hopes her site, Getwellderly.com, can encourage adults approaching their golden years to get serious about their physical health now rather than later.
Rhonda is a classic example of a health scare leading to a complete lifestyle change. She hopes her site, Getwellderly.com, can encourage adults approaching their golden years to get serious about their physical health now rather than later.