4 Ways To Strengthen Your Small Business Brand Identity

brand identity

Many new businesses are guilty of making this mistake – Planning to invest in their brand only when the business is up and running.

It’s a common sentiment for businesses that are only focused on marketing and selling but are completely oblivious to the idea of a company being both a business and a brand.

While it may look like you’re saving time and resources – putting your brand identity at the back burner will only cause more problems in the future.

The act of just mentioning your branding to your customers may get them to notice temporarily but is unhealthy in the long run. While not immediately obvious, the consequences of this method will emerge sometime in the future and will take you by surprise in a bad way. 

Consumers will start to question your brand instead of buying your products; customers will be confused about what your brand is all about, and the one thing that you don’t want to happen – customers switching to your competitors.

In order for your business to strive and compete with larger businesses in the industry, you must forge a relationship with your audience through marketing strategies, messaging, and customer engagement. 

The most valuable aspect of a company is its identity – its brand. When you do it right, the returns would be immense, and you will thank yourself for doing it sooner than later.

In this article, we’ll be covering the necessary steps and provide insightful information on how to establish and strengthen your brand as a small business. 

How to Establish Brand Identity

We’ll start by establishing your brand. Your brand identity is how consumers will get to know your business and products. Brand identity is bigger than your logo. It’s an intricate combination of every aspect of your company; how it looks, feels, and message you want to portray to the consumers. Your brand identity will affect the way how your customers will interact with your products, as well as how credible and reliable your business looks in the public’s eye.

With the success of your business literally at sake – it’s best to take your time in creating your identity. You would need to pour time and resources, but the results far outweigh all of that.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s how you start.

brand research

Research

You will be unable to create an engaging brand identity if you don’t know who your audience is. Take your time and get to know your audiences, from the primary up to tertiary. 

Once you have a fairly deep understanding of the tendencies of your audience, you now move on to your competitors. What are the steps taken by your competitors to establish their brand? What theme are they going for?

Don’t forget about the people that close to your company – your employees. Since they are dealing with your brand most of the time, they will have valuable input and opinions on how should the company be portrayed, and what identity should the company take.

Create Assets

Once you’re done with the research phase, it’s time to put what you’ve learned into visual assets. Here are some of the most common brand assets:

  • A logo
  • Color Palettes
  • Typo and Iconography
  • Graphics, Photos, and Videos for marketing

Here are 3 C’s that will help guide you throughout the process of creating your brand assets.

  • Clarity – The message should immediately be understood by your costumers. When customers are having a hard time discerning your assets – then it’s still not clear enough.
  • Consistency – Assets should be consistent throughout every one of your channels and marketing campaigns. The logo on your website should also be the logo on your banners, tarps, and billboards. Consistency gives off the feeling of discipline and confidence in the brand.
  • Commitment – Everyone wants instant gratification. As for brands, – it’s okay not to go viral. Don’t get discouraged when you don’t gain enough traction the first time. Don’t immediately shift directions when one thing goes against you.

Determine Brand Story

Establish your brand identity by having a brand story. A brand story will have various components such as why you started, what your brand believes in, what problems are you aiming to solve with your brand and many more.

As you’re coming up with a brand story, keep in mind that a brand story isn’t just what you say when pitching your brand to others – but it’s a way for your brand to relate with the people and vice versa.

Iterate, Refine, and Polish

As time passes, there’s bound to be changed in your brand identity and story – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Once you’ve established your initial brand identity, gather customer feedback and input – and change your brand identity accordingly.

If you want to strengthen your brand identity, work with the professionals today. Book an appointment for a FREE consultation appointment today!

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