WHO?
You. Everyone! All businesses big and small need a brand.
WHAT?
A brand sets you apart from everyone else in the world.
WHERE?
Your brand will be seen all over! On business cards, letterhead, flyers, websites, etc
WHEN?
Why wait? Start today.
WHY?
Have you ever Googled your industry [such as “shoes”]? Out of all those millions of companies, why should they choose you? That is where brands come in.
Okay, now that I have convinced you, you are asking one question…
HOWWW!!!
Here are some helpful questions and tips to help you create a brand.
1. Think of who you are as a company and what you want people to know before they even meet you
a. Don’t have a brand? See how four very different businesses built theirs, and how you can, too.
b. Already have a brand? Click here (scroll to the bottom) to get your brand audit checklist and see how you can improve your brand.
2. Create a mission statement
Think about what you would want if you were a customer looking for the product you are selling. Think about the service, the product, and the first and last impression you’d like to make.
3. Describe what you are branding
This includes not only the product you are selling, but also your competitive advantage.
4. Find out who your customers are
Any marketing guru will call this your “target market” but it simply means your customer. Are they young? Old? Male? Female? In school? Middle Class? Upper class? Retro? Contemporary? Vintage?
After these 4 steps, you are well on your way to creating a successful brand.
Now is the fun part! Take all that hard work that you did and put it to use.
1. Make a logo.
Logos should REFLECT the brand you create, not BE the brand. Bring your ideas and mission statements to me [or some other designer not as super-fantastic ;)] to bring your brand to life.
2. Use it EVERYWHERE.
Keep it consistent! You want people to be able to recognize your brand whenever they see something of yours.
3. PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE!!
Pretty simple, get your name out there for people to recognize.
That’s it! Good Luck with your branding brainstorming!