Establishing a solid brand identity is essential in making your business memorable for your customers and peers in your industry. Setting up a brand identity isn’t exclusive to big companies with a huge marketing budget but something all businesses should adopt.
When entering the business sphere, it’s expected that you have to deal with some competition, especially in the small business environment.
As of December 2020, there were over 1.2 million small businesses in Canada, which comprised almost 98 percent of the country’s total number of employer businesses.
We’ve got some tips below to help you create a brand identity that will make your small business stand out.
Contents
1Conduct Market Research
It’s essential to conduct market research and make the right branding decision. This will provide you with a basic understanding of what your customers want and what your current competitors look like.
Find out what values, products, services, and aesthetics speak to your target audience. Learn what your competitors are doing to attract customers.
This will help you create brand messaging that resonates with your target market and is capable of competing in your industry.
2Design a Logo
When talking about branding, you could rarely go without a logo. Logos serve as a striking visual representation of your business and will likely become its most recognizable aspect.
You can undertake this task yourself or hire a professional graphic designer. Take care to think about your logo carefully, as you will use it basically on everything that relates to your business.
3Build Your Assets Library
Once you have your logo as a base, it’s time to build your branding assets. This includes creating templates for letterheads, social media posts, IDs and business cards, and marketing materials.
With these assets, you can create various combinations for your branding needs on whatever platform you choose. These assets can be used for your online and offline needs.
You can then buy a card printer or use commercial printing services to create physical branded materials.
4Choose the Language You Plan To Use
Your visuals are simply one aspect of your business’s branding. It’s also essential to establish the kind of language that you will use for your business.
Your language will largely depend on your target audience and your industry. It should appeal to your customers’ values, the kind of image you want to project, and the relationships you plan to build with customers and colleagues.
5Maintain Consistency
One of the most significant parts of creating your brand identity is staying consistent across various platforms. This ensures that your business has a distinctive identity in language and visuals to strike your audience.
A hallmark of successful branding is becoming instantly recognizable, either through the colours and shapes of your logo or the way you talk to your customers and audience.
Whether using an online platform, traditional advertising, or hosting live events, staying consistent will strengthen your brand identity.
Creating a memorable brand identity requires brainpower, creativity, and some trial and error. However, going through this journey is well worth it to ensure a strong industry presence and a loyal customer base.
