Regardless of the size of your company, you should always think about branding your business. You don’t need a huge budget to build your brand and there are plenty of strategies that you can put in place to help your business stand out in a crowded market and be memorable to consumers.
From eye-catching ads to relevant color palettes, here are some helpful tips to help you build your brand identity your business.
Logo
A logo is a visual symbol that represents your company’s vision. Your logo is what will differentiate you from your competitors so you should ensure that it is eye-catching, unique and delivers impact. Your logo will help to create a first impression, so it is essential that you create one that fosters brand loyalty.
There are a few things you should consider when creating your logo. Look at your competitors and see how you can differentiate yourself from them. Pay attention to the colors you use as these will be the colors you carry through to the branding on your website. If you make your logo bright pink but then your website uses green tones, then your brand image will lack consistency. Try to keep the colors fairly neutral and don’t be too extravagant. After all, you want your brand to look professional.
Build Credibility
Think of yourself as the consumer. You are more likely to buy from a brand that you trust. So, you want to build credibility with your customer base, so they trust you and your product/service. One way you can successfully achieve this is by portraying your brand as an industry leader.
Think about creating positive recognition from your branding campaigns. You should try to include industry/company expert knowledge and advice about your brand. Consumers need all the relevant information to back you and answering any questions they may already have can provide reassurance.
Typography
You want every visual element in your identity to contribute to a cohesive visual language. The two should complement one another. The typography of your brand identity should be informed by the shape of your logo.
Typography trends can often be tricky as they can very quickly become outdated. To keep your brand image consistent, you should try limiting yourself to around 2-3 font families across your channels. You want your brand to convey clean and concise design so having a unique style guide for your website and social media channels can help you achieve this.
Advertisements
Your brand identity can help you create a successful advertisement to represent your business. Adverts can help you convey your brand’s key message to a wide audience. If you’re only just starting to build your brand identity, then banner advertisements can be a cost-effective way to get your brand out there. You can make a banner using resources readily available to you online without the need to hire a graphic artist which can end up putting a dent in your budget.
Banner advertisements can level up the advertising campaigns, and you can use a platform such as Creatopy to make them. They and other reputable organizations can help establish your brand’s identity, credibility and loyalty. If you’re a start-up company then it can be a great resource for helping you build connections in the industry and build strong, long-term relationships with your customer base.
Web Design
Every business should have its own website. If a consumer wants to find out more information about your company, the chances are they will look at your website first to find this information. You should think carefully about the design of your site. You want your consumers to be able to easily navigate around the website. If your site is too complicated, the chances are they will not be engaged and click off.
You want your brand to be inviting to customers so think about including a “Meet the Team” section on your website so consumers can get to know the people behind your brand. This can help customers feel more connected with your brand and can help build a strong and loyal customer base.
Be Aware of Your Target Market
When building your brand identity, you should always have a clear idea on what the goals of your company are and who you represent. You can then tailor your brand identity to attract your target audience. You should ask yourself who your ideal customer is and what they would like to see from your brand.
If your company sells baby products, for example, then your target audience is most likely going to be mums and dads. You should create content on your site that mums and dads would like to see like advice videos or helpful infographics. Identifying your target audience can help you make the right decisions when it comes to branding and help keep you on the right track.
Attract Engagement
In a competitive market it can be difficult to help your brand stand out amongst the rest. To engage your audience, you should try and create catchy slogans that will stick in people’s minds and make you more memorable. Memorable spokespersons can also help encourage your customers to buy into your brand. Loveable characters like the Michelin Man can make it easier for people to remember your brand. If you create a character the chances are you wouldn’t even need to give any context for people to relate it to your brand. You should always think what will attract your audience and help them remember you. Your brand should always focus on making an impact.
Consider Your Imagery
Imagery can be a great tool in helping you tell the story of your brand to your consumers. Photography plays a vital role in your brand identity from advertisements down to individual product shots. You should identify what images are appropriate for your target audience and use imagery that will attract consumers and keep them engaged with your brand. Check out this guide to brand photography which can offer some useful insight into how you can get the best out of your images and convey your story effectively to your audience.
