Branding, essentially, has a huge impact when you want to market your business effectively and have it set apart from the rest.

Branding may be just one of the basic steps in fulfilling your company, business or organization. Perhaps, you may think it sounds easy to create one, however, building a brand name is not as simple as 1,2,3. As a matter of fact, formulating an exceptionally good brand will cost you time, your ingenuity, and even your patience in order for you to come up with an ideal brand identity that will stand out from the thousands of competitors around you. Thus, your brand name should be persuasive and at the same time, effective. Because of your brand, people may be able to define what your company or business exactly is and at the same time, appreciate the difference that you have from the others.

Every company’s brand identity is, in essence, what lives in the hearts and minds of everybody. Ever wonder why most famous companies in the world seem to become popular forever? Basically, because they’re not only generating and providing excellent products or services. But, in reality, their brand name is what made them become undeniably prestigious companies in the world since before. Out of the thousand brands worldwide, there are just a few of them on the top and that is because of their branding definition. The creativity and uniqueness of design and campaign have a tremendous effect on these companies to cause a convincing power to the masses and eventually, make the public love them consistently.

Understanding the language of branding ideas has a crucial effect in getting started. Hence, before digging deeper, defining these terminologies can be quite essential.

What is Brand and Branding?

A brand is simply a name, but it can create an immense outcome for any business, company or organization. It can be a term, symbol, logo, design or any feature, which will identify, categorize, or separate a business from its competitors. For the most part, a brand is used for advertising and marketing a business in order to get the attention of your target market.

The term branding is a process, method, or an action to generate or develop a unique or exclusive name, image or design for a business or product. In this step, you will be able to create a mark to the consumers’ minds about your product’s identity. In branding, your goal is to build a compelling and distinctive existence and integrity in the market, which in the end, will captivate customers and be able to keep their loyalty.

A brand or branding strategy, on the other hand, is a plan organized (usually long-term) for the development of an outstanding brand name in order to attain clear-cut goals. A well-defined and accomplished branding strategy will surely influence all the components of your business or company and is precisely linked to the needs of the consumers and to the competitive markets.

A market research is one important element to incorporate into your branding strategy. It is basically an action or effort to collect information about your potential customers or target markets. It is a vital factor, which will help you in keeping up your competitiveness over rivals. Through market research, you will be able to determine and investigate the market size, needs and wants.Always remember that branding is not only necessary for large companies. Even small businesses today have established a strong reputation in the industry because they know the real value and result of effective branding.

How to get started? How to develop a brand?

Do you already have an existing business (product or service) but do not have an exact brand name yet? If that’s the case, you have to define and master the very nature of your product or what kind of business you are engaged with. Through this very basic step, it will be a lot easier for you to jot down suggested brand names and could come out a final one later. 

But, that’s not all, the following practical steps will help you move forward and be able to generate a strong brand identity in the end. There are different methods of branding, however, do not complicate yourself.  This article will be your simple guide to get things started smoothly. 

Identify your audience, potential clients or customers

You can never expect that all the consumers in the market can be your potential buyers. The type of product or service that you have is fundamentally the base of what type of audience you are going to captivate. Say, you have a school or office supplies business, your target audience would definitely be the consumers relating to offices and schools. Now, try to determine their needs, wants, concerns, and preferences. Then, do a survey or research about what’s trending, or what’s hot or not. Through this, you will be able to find ways and develop something that would set you apart from your competitors of the same line of business.

Develop a tagline for your business

Accompanying your brand name is a relevant phrase called a “tagline” Creating a catchy and interesting tagline will help provide your target audience or potential consumers an implication or hint about your business. If your tagline is meaningful, it will build a mark to the consumers’ mind and eventually, become curious about what something great you have to offer. 

Establishing your brand identity

A brand identity, first of all, is a set or group of all the brand components that a company, business, or organization establishes to present the right and exact image of itself to its target market. Aside from your tagline, your brand identity will make you become directly noticeable to the customers. Generally, the people will integrate your brand identity with the kind of product or service you are selling or offering. And, that brand identity of yours will produce a connection or network between you and the consumers. Gradually, you will be able to find out their loyalty and how your audience or customers will distinguish your brand. 

Creating your Logo

A logo is one of the most important elements that capture every potential customer’s attention. A logo is a graphic symbol or emblem that is generally created to help promote public awareness or recognition. Your logo is, in fact, an essential feature of your brand identity and it should possess the following attributes:

  • should relay a clear or precise message of your exact business
  • keep it clear, simple and unique
  • make it classic as much as possible
  • creates a lasting impression on your market 

Needless to say, you have to have a clear communication to your logo designer especially also when it comes to the style, picking the right color and typography. Your designer might have a suggestion for your logo but it is also important to value your preferences. The final approval, of course, definitely comes from you.  

Creating your website

Nowadays, entrepreneurs have been integrating their business affairs with the internet. Whether big or small, creating a website for your products or services can absolutely build connections between you and your target market. But, your business or company website is considered your major representative when it comes to featuring your overall identity. 

Developing a website is certainly not easy. You need help from an expert to make everything that you have in mind becomes a reality. A good and effective website will help you build or create leads and will be one of the means to promote your products or services. Thus, in order to realize one, bear in mind that a successful website is not just all about being colorful or nice to view. It should have the following features:

  • Your homepage should have a significant, consistent, clear, and easy-to-understand information. Remember, your homepage is like the front view of your store. Thus, make sure that you incorporate the right information before an online visitor has to scroll.
  • Make your website user-friendly to keep your visitors stay longer – an easy and pleasing experience. To do that, you may have to simplify your site “navigation” by keeping lesser tabs or pages on your website. Usually, you have these pages – about us, products or services, pricing details, contact us, etc. you may want to add more tab info but put in mind, if your online visitors can see too many tabs to open, they are likely to get repulsed and eventually, might just leave your site. 
  • A strong and effective business website is the one that generates leads by means of conversions. What does it imply? You are simply guiding your visitors by the actions that you want them to get that range with your business intentions and of course, their advantage. 

To convert visitors, you may incorporate “forms” to which visitors can provide you their contact details to make them gain further information regarding the progress or updates of your business. An email or brochure are common means. 

Another means to include forms on your website is to offer your visitors relevant content or articles in exchange for their participation in providing their contact information. Like for example, a free eBook or interesting articles may drive their interest to follow your lead.

Creating a product packaging

If your business pertains to the product, say bottled drinks, food packs, or perhaps perfume scents, product packaging is, in essence, one important factor that you should consider too. Let’s just say we cannot deny the quality of your product, however, we cannot deny the fact as well that one of the keys to attract or captivate the attention of your market is how you dress your product. And, that is through creating a pleasing and interesting packaging. Remember that packaging is one astonishing chance to let your product packaging layout to shine and sparkle. 

Devising your email design

Delivering and exchanging messages between you and your customers is another significant means to keep them on track or be updated with what’s going with your business. Email is indeed one essential way to engage not only with your loyal clients but also to your target market as well. Anyhow, it is not all about the purpose of your email, designing it would absolutely make a difference. Like for example, if you are trying to promote about chocolates or cookies, make a few delectable product pictures or images, which would surely delight your readers. 

Creating your business cards

If you have an impressively designed business card, this will help you boost a firm and confident opinion of your business in the eyes of your target market, Speaking about designing your business card, it doesn’t have to be too detailed with colors and images. Just keep it simple and make sure to place your logo and selective relevant details like your business name, address and contact numbers.

Developing the design of your brand generally associate forms or shapes, colors, and typography.

Forms and Shapes

Straight lines such as vertical lines and horizontal lines imply different meanings. Horizontal lines convey calmness/peace/serenity and soothing vibes. Vertical lines, on the other hand, advocates manliness and toughness. 

Shapes like triangles, rectangles, and squares indicate balance, loyalty, strength, and competence. Shapes may not be necessary to be a part of your brand design because they can cause an imbalance in the overall concept of your design especially when colors are already overpowering. 

Round shapes mostly create a feeling of warmth, love, and unity and such can also be perceived as girlish. 

Typography

The choice, style, and display of your fonts also have something to say about your brand identity. There are four main types of typography – Sans-serif fonts, serif, display, and script. Each of this font style has its own meaning too, just like the forms and shapes. 

Colors

Colors form a great part in creating a strong brand identity because colors impact people’s reaction, feelings, and judgment about your brand. Every color has its meaning, so it is quite important to be careful in your color selection. 

  • Green – nature and money
  • Blue – authentic, truthful, and stable
  • Yellow – cheerful vibe, happiness, and fun
  • Orange – playful and friendly
  • Pink – femininity, luxurious, and soft
  • Purple – royalty
  • Black – sophisticated and modern, can also be viewed as classic
  • Brown – down to earth, masculine, and jagged

Whether you are selling a product or promoting your services, remember that it is hard to sell and advertise when you don’t have a brand name and identity. Because of your brand, the customers or market, in general, will have an awareness about you. So, make your business sustainable and successful by building and keeping a firm brand of you.