Basic Steps You Need To Cover To Build Your Brand Identity

 

Your brand is the face of your business. It’s how your customers recognize you and start to build trust, making them feel comfortable enough to spend their hard earned money on your offerings over your competition.

 

So how can a business– whether a large corporation or a small startup– go about building a brand identity? Here are the basic steps you need to follow to create a brand that stands out and attracts customers.

 

Develop Your Mission Statement

 

Think of your brand as a person with values and goals. What would those values and goals be? What do they stand for? Developing your brand’s mission statement builds a strong foundation on which to develop, giving you guidance for the design pieces that you’ll create to represent your brand visually, as well as the tone of voice in which you address your customers. Developing a mission statement, and clearly defining what solutions you want to offer to your customers (as well as the community in which you operate) can be a point from which to redirect if you find your brand has gone awry.

 

Define Your Target Market

 

What are the demographics of the customers you wish to serve? Are you selling your product to stay-at-home parents who want to start a side hustle? Are you targeting senior executives of major corporations looking at retirement? Defining your target market helps you cater your offering and optimize your approach for the greatest possible return. Your messaging for one audience may be different from another.

 

Too many businesses attempt to take a macro approach to a target market, hoping to appeal to the masses rather than a specific area. For some products and services, this approach may work. In most cases, however, defining your niche will have better results.

 

Define Your Unique Selling Proposition

 

What sets you apart from your competition? In most cases, the product or service you offer will be the same or very similar to that which is offered by other businesses. There isn’t a lot of new ideas in the modern marketplace. However, that doesn’t mean that your product or service is equal.

 

Define a unique selling proposition (USP) that will tell customers why they should buy from you rather than someone else. The USP doesn’t have to refer to a physical feature but can address something intangible. Remember, the decision to purchase is heavily based on emotion rather than logic.

 

Design Your Visuals

 

If your brand is the face of your business, it needs to have something visual for customers to see and relate to your products. According to Lilo, everything from your website to your logo falls under the scope of design. Putting these together in a cohesive way that is consistent whether you’re advertising in print or talking at a trade show is key.

 

When it comes to the design aspects of your business, consult with the experts. While the other components of your brand are based heavily on ideas and brainstorming that can be done internally, it is crucial that businesses invest in well-designed visuals to present themselves professionally.

 

Bring it Together

 

These are just the basic steps of brand building to get you started. They create a base for you to consider when developing a brand voice, marketing plans, and brand implementation. Put your heart and soul into developing a strong brand, and the results will be evident in your bottom line.