Build a Brand Following These 5 Steps

More often than not, the terms “logo” and “brand” are used interchangeably. However, while the logo may be a part of the brand, it is not entirely represented by the logo. With so many people starting a business nowadays and trying to make a name for themselves, creating a strong brand is necessary if you want to survive within the competition.

No matter if you are creating it for your business or a client, understanding the makings of a brand will bring you onto the path of success. It might take a little work – but as long as you are dedicated enough, the entire process should pay off.

What Is Brand Identity?

The first time the term “brand” was used was when cattle were “branded” with a mark. The brand proved that they belonged to a particular farmer who was responsible for keeping them fed and flourishing. Over the years, the “brand” term evolved into something more than just a symbol or name plastered over the surface.

A brand is about what people say when you aren’t exactly there to listen. It’s the impression you leave on someone after you closed a sale. And your brand identity is practically the process in which you are shaping that impression.

Reasons Why Brand Identity Is Important

The brand identity is, simply put, a template that includes anything you might want to put on an ad to promote your business. It may be an online ad, a print, or only a commercial that appears while watching YouTube videos. A good brand will simply promote itself – and when seeing that brand, people will not even need to watch the ad or look at the flyer. They will already know what they are going to find on it – all because you already made an impression on them.

As you may have realized, the brand is practically the embodiment of every action your business takes on. As CEO of Monbi.com, Louie Ortiz says:

“The brand is the thought that remains in your customer’s mind. It’s the aspect that takes your business into the future. It’s the thing that makes you unique in comparison to other brands. It can’t be replicated – and if anyone tries, other people will still see your name in the other copy.”

In other words, the brand is more than a simple logo; its importance is unmeasured. And here are the top reasons why that’s the case:

1. It’s the Face of Your Business

Think about Coca-Cola. Whenever you catch a glimpse of that logo, you see the red color that expresses confidence and the typing that says enjoyment. It’s the “coffee” that you drink in the afternoon to refresh for the rest of the day. The same thing applies to the bottle in which Coca Cola is generally sold: you rarely see it on other brands, and if you do, it takes you back to the original.

Regardless of the way you look at it, the logo of your brand is the “face” that your business wears in front of other people. That “face” is not there just to make things look exciting or cool; it’s there to contribute to the brand’s identity, to bring that associative factor into the picture as well. It will tell your public that this particular picture only means your company.

2. It Builds Trust and Credibility

If you have a proper brand identity, you won’t only have a more great product – but you’ll also make sure that it has more authority in the marketplace. Think about Coca Cola; there are countless brands out there that sell the “Cola” drink. However, it’s not the original Coca Cola – and the people buying it know it. They will not trust any cola-looking glass they see unless they see the “Coca Cola” logo plastered.

A brand is the thing that creates a face – and keeps it consistent over time. Brand not only develops credibility among your competitors but also builds up trust among your potential customers. It will make you seem like you are unique and experienced – which is why they will be less likely to purchase from other similar yet unknown brands.

3. It States the Mission of Your Company

When you create a brand identity, you are practically giving it something for which it can stand. In return, it will give your business a purpose. We are all aware that every business begins with a purpose, right? Well, that can’t happen without first honing the identity of your brand.

4. It Makes an Impression on the Buyer

5. It Creates New Customers and Delights Current Ones

The moment you create a brand identity (packed with the mission, the face, and the trust), you are attracting people to check out what you have to offer. It brings new customers that are curious as to how they can benefit from your product.

Once that “curious customer” becomes a buying one, an “active customer,” he or she will gain a sense of belonging. Plus, a quality product will create new customers – and a good brand will also develop advocates. You won’t even have to advertise your brand, because those that are using it will boost the brand.

Steps for Creating the Brand

If you wish for the business to become beloved and well-known, it might have to include some work from your part. As long as you follow the steps correctly, there shouldn’t be an issue. As British business magnate Sir Richard Branson once put it,

“Branding demands commitment; commitment to continual re-invention; striking chords with people to stir their emotions; and commitment to imagination. It is easy to be cynical about such things, much harder to be successful.“ [1]

In other words, with commitment comes great success. And as long as you commit to the following steps and strive to make them a possibility, it should be easy for you to build your brand. You just need to want it hard enough.

1. Reach the Audience and Know Your Competition

reating a brand is pretty much like starting up a business. Just like in that scenario, the first step here would be to do some research on the market. First, you will need to clarify exactly who your audience is and what they want from you. Knowing this is vital if you wish to create a brand that everyone will learn to love.

You may also want to learn who your competition is – and keep an eye on them. If you wish to be successful in your business, you must know the difference between you and your competition. Know what your mission is – and what you want to deliver to your clients. Be aware of where you are starting – and where you want to go with your brand. At the same time, you need to make it personal and intriguing.

Scott Bedbury, chief marketing officer at Starbucks and advertising director at Nike, has quite an impressive statement on creating the story and mission of your brand:

“A great brand is a story that’s never completely told. A brand is a metaphorical story that connects with something very deep – a fundamental appreciation of mythology. Stories create the emotional context people need to locate themselves in a larger experience.”[2]

A brand is more than just a simple logo: a brand is a mission – a story that you will have to take from one point to another until you reach your goal. Using that goal and that story, you will be able to connect with your audience more efficiently.

One right way to reach your audience and know your brand is to conduct a SWOT analysis. This way, you will be able to discover the strengths of your business, its weaknesses, the threats, and the opportunities that may arise. Thus, you will know precisely where your brand stands.

2. How to Create Your Brand Logo

As mentioned, while the logo may not be an essential part of brand creation, it still plays a significant role. It’s what your clients see first when they come in contact with your brand. You must make it as exciting and as memorable as possible.

People are visual beings – and with a good logo, they will know what brand they have in front of them. Take the golden arches of McDonald’s, for example. Aside from its intriguing M-like shape, it doesn’t have any other unique design features. However, it is used so often that it merely “sticks out,” and people now recognize this iconic brand all over the world.

Once you create the logo, you should also make sure that all your content follows a similar style. Consistency is the key to creating a good brand – mostly because without it, and you will only end up confusing all of your followers. Use a template – and while being a bit flexible (as to not appear stiff and dull), create consistent content and visuals to keep your consumers hooked.

3. Use Words and Language to Connect

Once you deal with the imagistic parts of the brand, you should also think about the language that you are using. When creating the brand, there will also be an auditory part to it – one that will associate words or a manner of speaking to the brand in question.

Think again about McDonald’s, and its slogan “I’m loving it” – or Nokia’s “Connecting People.” You don’t even need to turn around anymore to see who’s advertising the brand; you already know based on what you hear. You already associate those words with it.

Make sure that the language you use matches the personality of your brand. If you have a high-end company, then you might want to stick to a professional, more formal style. On the other hand, if your company has a more laid-back attitude, then a conversational language might be more appropriate for your brand. As much as possible, you might want to make it personal and try to connect with your audience.

Louie Ortiz of Monbi.com also suggests that you add a story when you create your brand. A story has that way of drawing the customer in more than any type of content could.

“Everyone loves hearing a good story. Everyone loves a story that can move them. It’s in our nature to feel – to be compassionate and emotionally connect with our surroundings. As a result, when we see a brand that seems “robotic,” with no story, there’s no way for us to connect with that brand. However, when we see that the brand also has a story, we can emotionally connect and become more invested. You need to bring out the story in a voice that is as friendly as possible: to create a stable relationship between the brand and the consumer.”

Once you have the story and the appropriate manner of using words, it is time for you to begin advertising your business. Design ads – and make sure you use the methods that matter. Considering that this planet has about 3.196 billion people using social media (with those numbers only growing more and more), it’s safe to assume that these platforms are an excellent place to start when building your brand.

4. Know What You Should Avoid

When creating your brand, there are some things that you should do – and some things that you should avoid. If you find that you are guilty of the following practices, then there’s a high chance that your brand might fail at some point:

· You are giving your consumers mixed signals

A golden rule when you are creating a brand is that you have to choose each word wisely and to make sense. If it seems to make sense to you, the same might not apply to all of your consumers – so, make sure that you choose your words wisely and remain transparent.

· You are copying your competitors

While there is nothing wrong with keeping an eye on your competitors and learning from their successes, this does not mean that you have to copy everything that they do. It won’t bring you their customers, mostly because they have already been hooked by what your competitors did. However, look at what they do – and try adding a twist to it. Make it even better so that the customers will come to you for innovative products.

· You are losing consistency between your online and offline presence

Indeed, your offline presence should look a bit different in comparison to your online one – but at the same time, it should not be too different. Make sure that you remain consistent with the type, message, theme, and colors.

5. Monitor Your Brand

After you have created the brand, you should also make sure that it remains successful. If you aren’t looking at your key performance metrics, you might not be able to tell whether your marketing strategy is working. In this regard, you might want to use Google Analytics, comments, surveys, social media, etc.

Based on that analysis, you should be able to make any changes if something is not working the way that it should. Implementing the right measures should be easier to maintain and ensure that your brand identity does not change.

Final Thoughts

Creating a brand is not that difficult – but you do need to put some time into it. To create a memorable brand, you need to invest in the consistent use of language, type, images, and color – but in the end, it is worth it. Once the consumer is instantly able to

[1] https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-strengthen-your-personal-brand-f741727aa18b

[2] https://www.azquotes.com/quote/706532

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