How to brand your business in 7 steps

So how do you go about developing a consistent personality and style behind your business? Let’s break it down into seven steps.

1. Identify your audience

The first step for branding your business is to understand who your potential customers are. There are a few steps to this process.

• Analyze your current customer base
• Existing customers are a goldmine of information as they know what is impressive or lacking in your brand. Discover their interests and needs.
• What is their most pressing pain point?
• Which businesses do they trust and buy from?
• What would they love to see in your brand?
• You can engage customers directly through calls and surveys or study them to find answers. Chances are, you’ll find common characteristics or patterns that’ll help you define your target audience.

Conduct market research

Market research can help you uncover industry trends, opportunities, customer preferences, buying habits, and conversations about your brand or others. Also, it’s an effective way to gather information on your competition. Note who their customers are, preferred channels, interests, etc. Relevant social media channels, review sites, industry forums, or Q&A sites like Reddit are great places to start your research.

Create buyer personas

Group customers based on patterns or common traits you uncover and represent them with a persona. Include demographic, psychographic, behavioral, and geographic details. For example, the name of a persona that describes a group of construction workers with similarities could be Building Ben. He could be:

• 45 years old.
• A father of two kids.
• Based in San Francisco.
• Owner of Hammer River Construction with a team of six.
• A lover of reliable but innovative construction tools.
• The list goes on and on. What matters is that you include the crucial details.

 

2. Create your value proposition

Your value proposition is your brand promise. It is more than a tagline or a slogan. A UVP describes how your solution can solve the problems of your ideal customers better than competitors. To craft a powerful value proposition, think about the following:

 

• What does your perfect customer really want?
• How can your product or service solve their problem(s)?
• What factors motivate their buying decisions?
• Why do your existing customers choose your business over your competitors?
• Create a unique selling proposition with answers to these questions using the voice of your customers. Communicate benefits, what you intend to deliver, and why they should choose you over competitors. Stick to the truth with no unnecessary hype.

 

3. Determine your mission and core values

Why does your business exist? Your mission answers this question. To write a powerful mission statement, describe the purpose of your business, who your customers are, the products or services you render, and how you do it. Summarize this in a few words to make it memorable. Here’s an example of a mission statement.

“Core Systems designs and manufactures best-in-class industrial and military computing products based on our customer’s specifications. Our commitment to provide the best service throughout the design and engineering process is what sets us apart from the rest.”

Next up are your core values. They are principles that drive your goals, mission, and vision. These beliefs shape your company culture, which then influences stakeholders’ perceptions. Therefore, using generic words that do not define what your business stands for will only lead to a conflicting brand image. Instead, be specific, use your own words, and ensure the entire organization embodies these principles.

 

4. Define your brand personality

Your brand personality, just like that of an individual’s, is a combination of qualities that your organization exhibits. Ideally, these characteristics will attract people to your company and shape their perceptions. Therefore, a personality that resonates with your customers could help you build an emotional connection and stand out from competitors.

Consider the qualities you’d love to associate with your brand. Do you want to be seen as visionary, competent, or charismatic? Pick your traits and the voice you’ll communicate with. For example, if your brand personality is rugged, your brand voice could be confident and strong.

 

5. Create brand assets

The next step is to choose the elements that will identify your business. Some examples are colors, fonts, packaging, slogan, and your logo. Certain colors evoke specific emotions and convey meanings. For example, The Logo Company suggests that red boosts energy levels, yellow is optimism, and purple activates the imagination.

Whichever logo, color scheme, and style you choose to brand your business, ensure that it is distinctive and easily recognizable. Talk with experts and your team and play around with logo makers (like Looka, for example) to get some ideas.

 

6. Integrate them across your channels

Now your branding elements are ready, distribute them across your channels. For example, you can include visual assets such as your logo, colors, and fonts in all your messaging. A lengthier version of your mission statement could serve as your brand story on the About Us page.

Although your core values will mostly remain within your website, you could also enlighten customers and potential employees on what you stand for through branded videos and posts. Keep in mind that branding is an ongoing process for as long as your company exists.

 

7. Be consistent

According to MarketingNutz, it takes up to 5-7 brand impressions before an individual can recall your brand. From the website to social media channels and offline interactions with customers, branding must be consistent. Create brand guidelines to reinforce cohesiveness.

Is your brand voice youthful and casual on socials? Then there’s no need to be stiff on your blogs. Your customers should know what to expect or feel once they see your content, logos, or other brand assets. Consistency builds familiarity, trust, and loyalty. These feelings reflect successful branding.