CRUCIAL STEPS TO BRAND YOUR BUSINESS
Branding your business is one of the single most important things that will need to happen in order for your business to be successful. While branding has become somewhat of a buzzword in the marketing world, so many of us have no clue what it truly entails. It’s crucial to understand what branding is in order to be able to do it well.
What is a “brand”?
In simple terms, a brand is when anyone comes into contact with any part of your business. Whether you are walking down the street, or you are promoting a sale via social media, all of these interactions with your business are considered branding. While the typical understanding of branding includes elements such as your color, fonts, etc., it is important to note that it is much more.
How Do I Begin the Branding Process?
Define Your Target Audience
This step is key. Defining your target audience allows you to make the rest of the decisions regarding your brand based on the exact individual you aim to serve. I would encourage you to not simply define this audience by gender, or age, but to dive deep and create this individual. Ask yourself what their hobbies and interests would be, what motivates them, etc. These are all discovery questions that will allow you to serve with intentionality.
Aligning on a Narrative
In order to begin the process of creating a brand for your business, you need to first understand the narrative that you are trying to convey to your target audience. This is the story behind who you are, what you do, why you do it, and how it makes others feel. Remember, at the heart of your brand, is you.
Cultivate a Brand Voice
It is crucial that you spend some time thinking about the voice of your brand. It will be important to choose some key attributes that you would like to be used when identifying the personality of your brand. Once you decide on this, be sure that you are maintaining this presence across all facets of your business.
Create a Mood Board
I encourage you to use Pinterest as your tool for finding inspiration. Ask yourself how you would like the outside world to feel when coming into contact with your business or services. Let this guide you through selecting visuals that represent the environment you’d like to cultivate.
Create a Color Palette
Once you have spent some time creating your mood board, you will likely begin to see a color theme within the images you select. It is crucial that you put some thought and research into selecting the colors for your business. I would encourage you to read about color psychology as you make these decisions.
Create a List of Typography
Similarly to colors, you will want to research fonts that feel authentic to you and your business. Be sure that you consider your target audience when selecting these. For example, if your business is catering to the elderly population, you would not want to select a font that is hard to read.
Create a Logo
This can be one of the most exciting steps in the process, as it brings together all of the above. It brings to life your vision for your business and allows you to be easily recognized by your audience. Whether you try your hand at graphic design or hire a professional, be sure that this feels and looks exactly how you want it to.
It’s important to remember that branding is something that never ends. It is consistently changing because we as humans are constantly changing. While this all may seem a bit overwhelming, it is important that you have fun with it too. You are embarking on a new adventure, or redesigning your current one, and that is something to be excited about! Take your time, grab a cup of coffee, and start designing your dream brand.
Please also feel free to reach out to Choice at any time in this process if you need guidance, or want to make this a collaborative effort!
