Start by Defining Your Brand
Defining your brand can a challenge and might be like discovering yourself. Here’s a few questions to ask yourself, that will not only shape business’ image, but your direction, goals and eventually the outcome.
- What is your company’s mission?
- What are the benefits and features of your products or services?
- What do your customers and prospects already think of your company?
- What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?
Do your research. Getting your foundation solid at the Image Branding stage (or re-branding if you’re already an established business – but just developing a new look or product) is super important and will help make choices about marketing and who you are later – easier.
Learn who you clientele is. What are their habits? What do they want? Once you learn some of these basics about your “demographic,” then you can cater your image, the way you run your business, and your marketing towards meeting the desires of your customers.
Now that I’ve defined my brand, how do I get the word out?
- Get a great logo. Place it everywhere.
- Write down your brand messaging. What are the key messages you want to communicate about your brand? Every employee should be aware of your brand attributes.
- Integrate your brand. Branding extends to every aspect of your business–how you answer your phones, what you or your salespeople wear on sales calls, your e-mail signature, everything.
- Create a “voice” for your company that reflects your brand. This voice should be applied to all written communication and incorporated in the visual imagery of all materials, online and off. Is your brand friendly? Be conversational. Is it ritzy? Be more formal. You get the gist.
- Develop a tagline. Write a memorable, meaningful and concise statement that captures the essence of your brand.
Design templates and create brand standards for your marketing materials. Use the same color scheme, logo placement, look and feel throughout. You don’t need to be fancy, just consistent.- Be true to your brand. Customers won’t return to you–or refer you to someone else–if you don’t deliver on your brand promise.
- Be consistent. I placed this point last only because it involves all of the above and is the most important tip I can give you. If you can’t do this, your attempts at establishing a brand will fail.
Contact Raquel today to discuss how she approaches and coaches you along the Image Branding Process. Starting with a consultation, to a proposal, prioritizing a project list, then getting to work on designing and creating your image brand with you!
Article content revised and copied from “The Basics of Branding” by John Williams, on Enrepreneur.com
~Georgia Gietzen,