After you’ve done everything to get your small business up and running, there comes a time when branding steps up on the stage.
We probably don’t have to go into too much detail explaining why quality branding makes all the difference for your business. Still, if done wrong, there is nothing else to do but watch it all go to waste.
In order to get it right and avoid all possible pitfalls, read on to find out what you should and shouldn’t do.
DOs
Know your buyer persona
You can’t just pitch your business to everyone and hope for the best. This is a big no-no.
Instead, segment your market and imagine the person that is potentially interested in your product or service. You need to ask the right questions when determining who they are, and the answers will paint a clear picture.
Define your visual identity
In order to differentiate your brand from the rest, creating a memorable logo is a must.
All channels of communication with your customers need to reflect a unified design. This means that typography, logo, and the use of colors should be the same throughout your website, social media, emails, and newsletters.
Pick a memorable brand name
The perfect brand name should accompany your logo, or even a slogan, appropriately. You can try with anything from naming the brand after its founders (Procter & Gamble), use an associative experience (Internet Explorer), or invent a name (Google).
Be innovative and unique
This applies not only to your brand’s visual identity, but also to the tone of your voice when you communicate with customers, the way you approach new ones, and the way you nurture the relationship with the existing customer base.
Being a run-off-the-mill brand will not get you far.
DON’Ts
Don’t be a copycat
Ideally, you embarked on this entrepreneurial journey with something original in mind. Even though you don’t have to sell something groundbreaking, at least aim at delivering the services or presenting the product in the most original of ways.
A good way of making your brand stick in the minds of your audience is through authentic or even eccentric online and offline campaigns. This is when you might want to give guerilla marketing a try.
Don’t neglect the cultural implications of your brand name
This is extremely important if plan to expand your business globally. Just think about how Ford failed miserably when their Nova entered the Spanish market (No va means “doesn’t go” in Spanish).
Although it’s impossible to check the meaning of a word in every single language, at least try and do so with some of the most widely used ones.
Don’t cheat
Even the slightest deviation from delivering what was promised will tarnish your brand’s reputation. For this reason, it is of pivotal importance to give the customer exactly what they chose.
Don’t let the brand out of your sight
The branding equation goes way beyond your own website, newsletter, or social media channels.
Just think about your publishing partners and how some of them might put a wrong URL to your website or accidentally misuse your logo. Whenever you agree to have someone share anything about your brand, make sure it’s done properly.
Obviously, there is very little room for mistakes in the marketing arena. Therefore, do your business a favor and plan your branding strategy carefully.
Have a clear focus when it comes to what you want to achieve and implement the steps consistently. Everything you do has to represent your brand in the best possible way.
