Your brand is the window to your business. Many business owners don’t know where to start when it comes to creating and developing their brand – if you haven’t spent time understanding what your brand is, it can be confusing for your audience.

So, before you begin this journey, it’s vital to spend time asking yourself what you want your brand to say about you and your business. It is worthwhile asking your team, and perhaps a few clients, what the brand currently means to them. This way, you may be able to gain some insights into what people think before you go down a particular path.

It may seem like an arduous process but once you get it right, you could reap the benefits.

What is the purpose of a brand?

Your brand is your business’s identity, it will determine how clients perceive you and it should clearly define your services, what you offer, and it should ‘speak’ to an audience.

Here are some of the most common things you need to consider when creating your brand:

Your business name – This should reflect what your business does. There is no point creating a name that has no relevance or connection to the service you are providing. Before registering your business, check whether the domain name is available for your website.

Your logo – This is the visual element of your brand. Keep it clean and simple. Some of the most recognisable logos in the world aren’t that elaborate – take Nike and McDonald’s for example. As soon as you see the logo, you recognise the brand – even without the name attached.

Your colour palette – While you may not think this is relevant, it is! Colours can determine how you feel, create emotions and different moods. Did you know there are certain colours you should think twice about using in the financial services industry? Black and red are not advised, for obvious reasons.

Tone of voice – How will you communicate what your business does, will it be in a friendly or serious tone of voice? Think about the type of imagery you want to use on your website as well, this should reflect how you want to appear to an audience – friendly, light-hearted etc.

Unique selling point (USP) – What is your mission and what sets you apart from the pack?

Website – This IS your brand. Think of your website as an extension of you and your business, it forms an impression of your business. If you don’t get this right, you may be missing out on generating new leads and business growth.

Having an understanding of each of these can help you create a brand that says what it means and can help attract clients and grow your position in an already cluttered market. 

Why is your brand so important?

Building a brand is more than just a business name and a logo. Consider developing a client engagement strategy as well as a marketing strategy. You need to ensure that every single customer touch point from the beginning to the end is a positive experience (client engagement strategy) and you stay engaged with clients in between client meetings (marketing strategy). Having a consistent message throughout each touch point will also help to build and reinforce your brand. There are multiple channels you can use to connect and engage with clients, whether that is through newsletters, social media or website blogs.

Reasons why building a brand is important:

• Improves recognition
• Builds trust
• Customer loyalty and referrals
• Gives your business personality

When creating your brand, you might want to consider how you can humanise your brand so clients are able to connect with the message you are trying to convey.

Finally….     

Whether you’re just starting out in business, or you’ve been in business for many years, creating and building a brand that is fit for purpose could be one of the most important things you do.