Branding 101: The Basics of How to Brand Your Business

If you are running a business, then branding is a term you have probably heard passed around on numerous occasions. With that in mind, what does it actually mean? We might all have a brief idea but unless you have experience in marketing, you could be mistaken as to what branding truly is. 

 

In brief, it is essentially referring to the ability to both identify and showcase a product, service, or company in a unique way so that it stands out amongst other businesses that do the same thing or something similar. Branding should also clarify what said product, service, or company is and what makes it the better choice. It can also be described as the experience that a target audience gets when they come into contact with your brand. 

 

Branding is important as it forms the foundation of any marketing that your business does. If you don’t establish yourself with a clear identity that makes you a unique and reliable choice, it will be more difficult to begin to drive people to your website and generate sales. You might know personally what makes you unique but unless you can properly convey that uniqueness to prospective customers, it doesn’t matter. 

The first thing to do when it comes to effectively branding your business, whether this is your first time doing so or is part of a rebrand, is to take a step back for a moment. Don’t consider what you believe people think about your business to be true, and instead, actually ask your customers what they think about you. You could be surprised at the difference between how people actually perceive you, compared to how you would like to be perceived. The main things that you need to find out from your customers are: 

 

 

This will be a great indicator into deciding what is actually working for your business. If one specific product appeals to people, you can use that as a starting point when it comes to working on your branding. 

 

 

It’s important to identify these potential speed bumps so you can stay as far away from them as possible when it comes to branding. If you have used a particular description, image, or design on some products and they have put customers off, then it’s crucial you stop using them altogether. 

 

 

There is a common saying which is to focus on yourself and not the competition. Whilst this is sound advice in some areas, it’s not when it comes to branding. If you have competitors that appeal to customers more because of the way they have managed to promote themselves, consider what they have done and assess whether you can incorporate their style into your own branding. This is also incredibly important because a key part of branding is being able to stand out. Yes, whilst a business may have an incredibly effective branding method that you want to take influence from, it’s important not to do so in a way that your company simply looks like a carbon copy of theirs. Allow your competitors to influence you but don’t allow them to dictate everything you do. 

Once you have all of this information, use it as a map which will help to guide you when you embark on your branding journey. Analyse it and determine what your valuable market position is and what you can do that will set you aside from the competition. This then needs to be incorporated into all aspects of your branding, including your logo, the tone of your copy, your colour palette, and the images that you use. 

Whilst your branding may be incredibly effective for you now, that’s not to say it will remain so in a few months’ time. The effectiveness of branding depends on trends, and trends have a tendency to fluctuate. As such you might be required to change your branding over time in order to fit better with the market landscape that you operate in. 

 

Consumer preferences will change, and as other competitors enter the market, or if your company undergoes a merger, you may be required to rebrand. As such it’s a good idea to carry out a branding exercise of checking in with consumers and competitors at least once a year. By doing this, you’ll ensure your branding remains up to date and continues to be effective. 

As stated previously, branding is one of the most important aspects of your business to get right. If you don’t have effective branding, then you won’t be able to stand out or ensure customer retention. Similarly, for these reasons you may need to keep updating your branding so that you are presenting yourself in a way that resonates with prospective customers. 

 

Due to its importance, you should consider hiring a reputable web design company if you are not certain on how your business should be presenting itself online. 

 

At it’seeze, we provide excellent and affordable web design services, creating websites that accurately and professionally reflect your brand. In a nutshell we help speak to your customers in the language they understand and tell them what they want and need to know about your brand. 

 

You will be met with a team of experts to discuss what your business does and how you wish to be perceived by potential customers. After which, this information will be turned into a fully functioning and stylish website that you can use to drive traffic and convert that traffic into sales. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your branding in more detail, then do not hesitate to contact us.