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Last Updated on January 5, 2017 by Work In My Pajamas
Establishing a startup company from the ground up can be an intimidating proposition. You may have a great idea for a product or service, but there are so many other aspects to address before you can even begin to deliver your offering to the public. An often misunderstood, but essential, component to a successful venture is branding. This sometimes confusing terms refers to the way in which customers perceive a company in their minds, including the feelings and beliefs they associate with that company. Branding is comprised of the business name, signature colors, logo, motto or anything else that contributes to a business identity. Branding must occur before marketing, promotion or sales can even be considered. Keep reading to discover how to easily improve your business brand.
Know Your Customer
Because the purpose of branding is to appeal to prospective customers, you absolutely must know who those buyers are in order to identify what will resonate with them. You want the message and imagery associated with your product to be meaningful to this select group of people. Take time to think about the demographics of your ideal consumer and begin to develop a snapshot of who they are, their age range, what they want, the ways in which they like to receive information and more.
Study the Competition
The next step you should take is to learn about your competitors. What kind of branding are they using to appeal to their customer base? Take a look at their logos, packaging designs, slogans or other types of identifiers. Also study their products. In what ways is yours different or better?
Set Yourself Apart
After doing your competitor research, you should have a good idea about the ways in which your product differs. Of these differences, focus on one or two you think might resonate with your buyers. For example, if your competitors’ products are presented in a very traditional or conservative manner, it may make sense to focus on the innovative nature of yours and present it in a sleeker, more modern fashion.
Make Your Visual Mark
When you’re ready to get down to creating your branding components, you’ll need to make some decisions about the nitty gritty elements. Colors, fonts and graphics are the parts of your brand that will make it immediately recognizable to consumers. You don’t want to cut corners in this area. Hiring a graphic designer is recommended in this step to ensure your brand looks as professional as possible and that it correlates with the message you want to send. It can even benefit you to invest in any equipment or tools necessary to be sure your look is impeccable. For example, color grading software from a company like Color Grading Central can add a professional-level touch to help tell your story in a unique way and stand out from the crowd.
Following these steps will assist you in creating a strong brand presence. Maintaining consistency in the way you present your brand across varying channels will lead to better brand recognition.
