What is branding?
Branding makes your company stand out from others in the marketplace. You cannot just go into business without having some sort of brand identity; it has to be there or else you will have no way for people to know who you are.
Branding is the process of creating a unique identity for your business. It’s about making sure that you are different from other businesses in your industry and it helps to create an emotional connection with customers. The best way to do this is by using logos, colours, fonts, slogans, etc. You can also use social media accounts like Facebook or Twitter to help build brand recognition.
A good example would be McDonald’s: they don’t sell burgers, fries, shakes, etc., but rather hamburgers, French fries, milkshakes, etc. They’re not selling anything that doesn’t come with their name on it. The same goes for other companies like Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple, Microsoft, Google, etc.
These brands all have something unique that sets them apart from each other. That uniqueness comes through by using certain colours, logos, fonts, slogans, mascots, etc. When someone sees these things, they immediately associate those items with the particular company. This association helps build loyalty among consumers.
The importance of branding
Why is branding important?
Branding is how you present your company to potential customers. It’s what makes people remember your business when they’re shopping for products or services that are similar to yours. The goal of branding is to create an identity for your organisation so it can be recognised by consumers as being different from other businesses in the same industry. This helps them identify with your brand and make buying decisions based on their feelings toward your product rather than just price alone.
Branding increases business value
The most obvious benefit of having a strong brand is increased sales revenue. A well-known brand name attracts attention and creates awareness among potential buyers. It helps them remember your product/service when they need it. In other words, it gives them confidence in buying from you again.
Branding generates new customers
If you are looking to grow your customer base, then branding should definitely be part of your plan. It helps you reach out to potential clients who might otherwise never hear about your product or service. If they see your logo everywhere, they’ll know where to find you. And even though there may be other competitors offering similar products, having a well-established brand gives you a competitive advantage over them. Brand awareness is key to generating sales.
How to build your brand?
The first step in creating a successful brand is understanding who you want to target. You need to know where you stand against competitors and figure out why someone would choose your business over theirs. Once you have done this research, you will have a better idea of what kind of image you’d like to project.
Next, decide if you want to use words or images to represent your brand. Words are great because they allow you to express yourself through copywriting. But sometimes using pictures works best because it gives your message more impact. Finally, think about which colours will help define your brand. Colours should match your logo and website design. They also affect consumer perception of your business.
Brand Name: The first thing people see about your business. This could include names like “Pizza Hut,” “Applebee’s” or even just “the store.”
Tagline: An effective way to describe what your business does. Taglines should be short, sweet, and concise. They should tell your story without being too wordy.
Logo / Symbol: Your brand’s visual representation. Logos often have multiple elements including colours, fonts, shapes, etc.,
It’s not enough that you have an amazing product – people need to know who you are! And they need to trust what you say because if they don’t like what you sell, then there isn’t much point in them buying from you. It is now essential to succeed as a company or as an individual to be able to build a strong brand.
Check out these 8 branding essentials before you get started.
1. Make sure you know your target customers:
One of the most important exercises to do before starting a business is identifying your target customer. Learn as much as you can about your customer (gender, age, purchasing power, what they like, what they like about you, etc.).
2. Name Your Business:
Choosing a descriptive name (Tony’s Tours) will make it easier for customers to identify with right away but will be harder to own. Additionally, do several Google searches on your proposed name to find out what comes up.
3. Purchase Your web domain name:
It is essential that your business has its own domain name. Make sure the URL for your business is available when naming it. As closely as possible, your URL should match your business name. The ideal extension would be a .com, but .orgs and others are becoming increasingly popular.
4. Define Your Brand Identity Choose your colours, fonts and images.
Invest some time in understanding how each of these elements works together to give your customers a certain feeling when they visit your business. Keep your brand guide handy so you’re never out of touch with your identity.
5. Craft Your Logo:
The logo represents your business. You don’t have to make it fancy. It’s best to keep things simple. You should create something that will look good in a small space on social media and as a large sign on your door. Ensure that the proper files are available for online (PNG) and for printing (PDF, etc.).
You can use online tools to create your logo
6. Gather Your Contacts
Make a list of your contacts. Sort them into categories like influencers, customers, press contacts, etc. Get in touch with them and tell them all about the new venture. If possible, ask if they can be added to your email list or if they can help you identify other contacts who could be helpful.
7. Design Marketing Materials
Make sure to have the basics in place. Define what these are for you. For most businesses, this would include a website, business cards and signage.
8. Join / Engange on Social Media
Knowing where your customers spend time on social media is more important than being on every channel. Become a member of these communities and claim those pages.
Branding has become one of the most important aspects for any company or individual to succeed. Brand-building should be an integral part of any business. It’s not just something you do once or twice but it needs to become your business lifeline. You need to understand what makes people tick and how they think so that when you are creating products and services for them, you can make sure that they will want to buy from you again and again. This means understanding their wants and desires as well as their fears and anxieties.
Digital Marketing and Social Media Marketing
The next toolkit walks you through digital marketing.