10 Awesome Tips for Developing Your Brand Identity
Whether you're just starting out in business or it's time for an overhaul, developing your brand identity is one of the most important things you can do for business success. Here are 10 awesome tips to help you get started.
A shrewd entrepreneur or anyone else who works in the world of business knows that brand identity is beyond simply traditional marketing. The best entrepreneurs understand that they must market their business brand consistently.
And to do that, you need to be equipped with the proper resources. This post will discuss the things you need to build your business brand and see success from doing so.
An Authentic Interest In Those You Meet
When you are trying to establish networking connections, don't focus on marketing your business. Instead, make your initial conversations all about the person you are meeting.
Ask them questions, look them in the eye, and make them know you value them and what they are saying.
This is the way to nurture strong relationships and build your customer base. When you do this, you are branding your business as an entity that cares about other people.
Don't Shy Away From Speaking Opportunities
Most people would rather get hit by a bus than speak in front of people, whether it was a group of five or five hundred. But taking opportunities to do some public speaking will be a great asset when building your business brand.
Whether it is holding a lecture or speaking at a conference, these opportunities allow you to present your business as an authority in business and your specific industry.
And when your company establishes expert status, it develops a more solid and trusted reputation.
A Social Media Presence
It's not just for teens anymore, folks. Developing a strong presence for your business on social media will help boost your company's image.
Set up profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter and learn how to navigate those platforms.
Having this public platform is another have to establish your company's authority status in your industry and be accessible to the public when they need it.
Be Prepared for Change
Understand that your content strategy should evolve over time. Just as the world is constantly changing, on a business level, you are changing too.
Businesses that don't adapt to new technology and psychographics tend to go out of business.
Likewise, you only hurt and hold back your business brand if you never revise your strategy.
Your old tactics might not work anymore, and could even stunt your company's growth.
To prevent that from occurring, you must pay attention to what happens in your field of interest and your website.
Record All Existing Content
List all of the sites that contain content about your business or written by your company. Before you write or implement a content marketing plan for branding, you should look up all of the websites that have content about your business.
If your business posted something you're not proud of, delete or edit it. Also, delete old posts that you don't think represent your company well or reveal too much information.
Set Boundaries and Honor Them
Speaking of revealing too much information, you must set boundaries for your business. What will you NOT talk about on social media? What counts as getting too confidential for your business?
Take your interactions into consideration as well.
You've probably heard stories of companies losing clients because of something they said online either in the heat of the moment or joking around with followers.
Some have an incredibly difficult time pitching to new clients afterward because it became a hot topic online.
Clients don't want to associate with a business that was publicly scorned. Setting boundaries for your company is a critical step in creating a corporate brand marketing plan because it prevents your business from revealing too much information and jeopardizing your clients and other business networks.
Narrow Down Your Platforms
Next, you must determine which platforms to use in your content marketing. Use platforms that make sense for your industry. Which social networking sites are popular among your clients?
That will usually give you a good idea of where to look. Figure out where people in your industry like to hang out online. Those sites will be where you post content and interact with others to build your business brand.
Decide Which Content to Post and Which to Scrap
Ask yourself if you'd want your clients to read something before posting it. It's easy to get caught up in your emotions on social media, whether it's over politics, a news story, or the next stupid thing a celebrity has done.
But when your business brand matters to you, letting it all hang out isn't a good thing. Step away from your social media when you lose a client up and only return once you've cooled down.
The best kind of content to post is your thoughts on industry news and trends. Over time, your company will become a thought leader in your industry by discussing perspectives on relevant issues.
It will also help you create unique content for your blog.
The Power of a Logo
There are some logos which are immediately recognizable. "Ah hah, that belongs to this company," you immediately think, when you see the Coca-Cola logo, for example.
Associations are easy enough to make over time. However, what many of us may not think about is what certain designs may portray in terms of message.
The basic shapes, colors, lines, fonts and even size can say a lot about what your company is all about. Companies strive to make their logo easily recognizable, very understandable, and possibly above all, unique.
So much time and effort can go into designing a company logo, and artists are usually used to give each a personal touch for commercial appeal.
Simplicity
Simplicity is an underrated aspect of graphic design, certainly when it pertains to logo creation. People generally do not like to be overwhelmed by a plethora of detail and intricacy when looking at a logo.
They see many, many logos as they shop and browse, and an overly detailed designed may get passed over because they do not want to take the time to figure out what exactly it is, or what it's trying to say.
A circle, a square, a triangle; these can be used very effectively as the basis for a logo design, as they are bold and basic. Even most children can begin to recognize them, and as such, adults become immediately familiar with a logo based off of one of these shapes.
Color Catches the Eye
It is often the first thing we glance at when our eyes cross paths with a logo. Close your eyes and imagine any logo that you know well. What is the one thing that truly sticks out in your mind's eye?
We wager it would be the color splashing out against the darkness of your closed eyes. Almost every logo uses color to distinguish itself to children and adults alike, and even the ones that stick to a grey-scale scheme may stick out, thanks to the contrast to the other more colorful logos.
The color of a logo may say much more about a company than people consciously realize. Bright colors may say "bold, outgoing company, possibly geared toward children or adventure; whereas a black and white logo may display an obvious message of professionalism.
Depending on the business the logo is going to be made for, color may very well be the most important aspect of its design when it comes to catching attention and capturing the target audience.
Text
The use of text in logos can be tricky, but it can also be very crucial. Many companies use ONLY text for their logo, yet there is usually more to the design than just jotting down a word.
Color, shape, font, and size still factor in, and the text can just as easily portray a message as symbols and shapes can. Short, precise words convey a confident company and allow people to remember them very easily.
Also, they can be combined with shapes and things to create a very unique design. Longer words or combinations can make the design quite specific, which benefits companies aiming for a professional, adult clientele.
Think deeply about using words, as they can say many things - both positive and negative - about your company.
Creation
Logos often have simple looks and complex creations, and those are the logos that become the most synonymous with their perspective companies. Do not over-complicate things when you can avoid it, and think from the perspective of a customer at all times throughout the design process.
What type of logos do you like to look at? Which ones send an obvious message to you? Successful logo design can help lead directly to a successful business, so treat the process accordingly.
Improve Your Brand Identity
A business branding marketing plan isn't vastly different than a content marketing plan for a company.
You must still determine the most important channels for creating a brand identity. Your brand marketing strategy will still evolve over time, and you must still set boundaries in order to protect your business.
Put thought and more creativity into your business branding marketing plan, and make sure it reflects the type of business you are or aspire to be.
