If you are starting a business, The first step after building a brand name is to start crafting your brand image. Your company’s brand will define your company’s personality and reflect its values, promises, and culture. Your branding will be a major factor in the buying decisions of potential customers. If done right, it will distinguish you from your competitors and make you memorable.
Once you have created your brand image, it should be consistent across all customer-facing communications. This includes signs, printed materials, brick-and-mortar decor, and even the clothes your employees wear to work.
How to create a brand new image
Your company’s marketing plan is an integral part. It will guide and inform all future marketing efforts. Here are some ways to get started.
1. Start collecting data to build your brand.
Before they can create their brand, business owners must develop a market research plan in order to collect data and track industry trends. This phase involves many aspects. These are the steps to follow:
Find your target audience.
First, you must pinpoint your target audience. These people are likely to be interested in your content and will subscribe to your email newsletters.
Create customer personas.
This is a great moment to begin building customer personas in order to determine who you will target during branding. If you find that your audience consists mainly of 50-year-olds, Avoid slang, and instead, focus on creating a brand that communicates a clear message and design. You can create a brand that appeals to Gen Zers and millennials. You’ll likely have a completely different voice and design, which may be more vibrant and exciting.
Find out what your audience loves. Use Google Analytics data if you have a website for your business to see what content and products your audience likes. To get a better idea of your target market, look at the websites and social media accounts of your direct competitors to see if they have them.
Also read: Top 10 Logo Design Software
2. Create your new brand logo.
Your business’s success depends on your logo. No matter whether you are redesigning a business, or starting from scratch, you must always design a logo that reflects your brand voice. These are some tips to consider:
Select colors carefully. The color of your brand can have a significant impact on how people perceive and respond to it online. Studies in color psychology have shown that blue logos can create trust among their customers. This tactic is used by companies such as AT&T, Dell, and Facebook. Businesses that promote wealth and fortune, or products related to health or nature, may also consider using green logos. Companies like Whole Foods and John Deere use bright green colors in their logos.
Use fonts and graphic elements.
Make sure to use fonts and graphic elements that reflect your brand’s personality. Times New Roman and Serif fonts are traditional and suitable for financial institutions. Sans-serif fonts like Helvetica have a more contemporary look and are appropriate for tech companies. Ensure your company name is legible in any case
Keep your target audience in mind.
When designing your logo, It’s important to think about your target audience and what their preferences are. If you create a logo it doesn’t resonate well with your potential customers, There’s a good possibility that you will see little traffic and few conversions.
3. Establish your brand voice.
Once you have created your logo, it is time to start building your brand voice. Every interaction with customers is where your brand voice comes out. Most consumers will discover your brand voice through your website, blog, social media posts, and customer service team.
Your website.
First, create your web copy. Create your About page Contact page, Sales Page, FAQs, and Sales page. Use the same voice and tone throughout your content. Examples of brand voices are: friendly, funny, and absurd (Old Spice); positive-motivating (Nike); proudly exclusive (BMW); Strong, aggressive, and strong (Harley-Davidson). If you’re going to start with a sense of humor, You must be willing and able to speak up for your business as it grows.
Your blog.
Blogs for small businesses are a great way to attract new customers. Few people will visit your website and purchase something immediately. It is important to create an incentive for visitors to return to your site. Blog posts that are centered around your niche can be a great way to build your brand and keep your audience interested as they move closer to buying. You can reuse blog content in your social media accounts as a bonus.
Your customer service.
A company’s reputation for customer service is a major factor in how it is perceived by the public. Customers often contact customer service if they have any questions or problems with their orders. It is crucial to winning over these customers and interested leads. Your customer service team should be aligned with your brand voice if you want customers to remember your company.
4. Start building traction with your brand image.
Once you have created your brand image, it is time to let customers and potential leads know that you are launching a new company or redesigning an existing one. These are some tips to help you get traction with your brand image.
Give customers a heads-up.
It is easier to gain traction if your customers are already there and you are rebranding the website. You will have a lot more success if you have customers. You can also email existing customers to inform them that your brand has changed. Your website will likely have regular traffic so customers will notice the changes.
Leverage social media.
It’s important to build traction on social media early to increase brand awareness. Your target audience should be included in the audience research you did earlier. Complete and verify your business profile on these platforms. Next, share blog posts via social media. This will allow you to interact with your audience. Start telling the story of your brand through video, static posts, and links back to website and blog content.
Make a lead magnetic.
It doesn’t matter if you are launching a brand new or rebranding, a lead magnet can help you build your email marketing list. A lead magnet is a valuable offer that a customer gets for signing up for your email list. A lead magnet could be an ebook, checklist, or guide that helps the subscriber achieve a goal. If you have a website selling gardening tools, you might offer a guide called “The Ultimate Guide to a Perfect Garden”. Lead magnets are a great way to generate sales leads and build traction.
Also read: How to Create a Successful Brand Campaign
What brand image should and shouldn’t be?
These guidelines will help you maximize the effectiveness of your brand image. The following are some of the elements that make up a brand image:
Create a brand guide.
It will be easier to create new brand communications quickly by having a branding guide that includes your fonts, colors, and kerning. Your branding guide will allow you to communicate your brand style easily to all new employees in your marketing department. A branding guide is a must if you are working with a brand-building marketing agency.
Keep your branding consistent throughout your organization.
Your branding guide should be distributed throughout the organization to ensure that no one department uses the wrong logo. Externally and internally, promote your brand.
Carry branding from online to offline.
You can have specific branding on your website or social media accounts. You should use the same branding on your office decor as in printed materials.
Use emotional data to define your brand.
In order to make a sale, both facts and emotions are important. While the emotional aspect of branding is most important, you must also give concrete reasons for why your product/service is the best.
Remember your core values.
What is your company’s most important value (besides making money) These values should be a part of your branding? These values should be included on your About page, your marketing copy, and even your tagline. This message lets your customers know what you expect and attracts prospects who share similar values and needs.
The following are not acceptable for brand image:
Your logo should not be too large.
A large logo is unprofessional. A logo that is approximately 50 pixels by 50 pixels on your website is a good size.
Do not jump on every bandwagon.
You don’t have to follow the lead of your competitors just because they are doing it. Don’t accept a promotion or comment on social media that doesn’t align with your brand. Your brand is all about maintaining a consistent image before the public. If you follow the crowd, it will dilute your brand.
Don’t make false promises.
Your brand is basically a collection of promises about your company. False promises can cause irreparable damage to your brand.
Do not create low-quality content.
Strong content strategies with relevant and meaningful content can yield huge benefits. Poor content can lead to customers being turned away. It is important to communicate with potential customers through content. Providing quality content will show them that you care and are willing to educate and help them. Do not skimp on your content strategy.
Don’t expect instant results.
It takes time to build a brand. Prospects need to see your branding several times before it sinks in. Your brand will grow faster if you are able to engage with prospects. Brand building is still a process.
Your brand image reflects your business goals
Everybody has a unique brand image just like people have different personalities. Businesses must build brands that are creative and valuable and that solve real problems for customers. Although it takes time to create a brand image and build the brand community, the results are well worth the effort.
Think about the people and companies that inspire you. Then think of traits you could emulate. The foundation of a business brand is based on audience presentation, research, and goals. A good designer can help you create a unique brand identity that is based on your target audience, niche, and values.
