When it comes to starting a business, your branding is critical.
Most startups pick a random color scheme and font style and design a nice-looking logo in one go just to check off “branding” on their to-do list. But branding is more than just your logo.
When done correctly and adequately, your branding can help your startup establish a unique and significant presence in the market that will appeal, attract and retain loyal customers.
Defining And Understanding Brand
According to Sherwood Universal, a top brand printing service provider in the UK, a brand does include the name or logo. Still, it is more about how a company and its products are perceived by those who experience it. This means that a brand is the recognizable feeling and experience that your business’s name or logo evokes.
In simpler terms, your brand exists in the mind of customers, and it is the result of everything that your startup does that makes a solid and memorable impression on them. Thus, here are four branding strategies to establish a strong startup presence:
1. Prioritize Branding From Day One
During the early days of your startup, the brand strategy seems to be forgotten as you focus more on getting your services known and your products out the door.
However, branding isn’t something you should overlook, especially in those critical early days.
Brands have a way of emerging and evolving unless you make an effort to define and control them. This is much easier to do when your business is still in its early days.
Developing your brand is not just about future-proofing your business, though. It can also help promote your business on its own, allowing your startup to stand out in a crowded market and make it more memorable for potential customers from day one.
2. Determine Your Target Audience
Your brand determines how your startup is perceived in the minds of our target audience. So, it only makes sense that you build your brand around your target audience.
You probably already have an idea of the kind of people who might be interested in your services or products. These people will make up a significant part of your target audience.
That said, there are also some audience groups that you may not have thought of. These include people who might wish to work for your startup, who may be more interested in the way you’re doing business and the kind of skills you use. These people may include journalists, influencers, bloggers that may want to feature your startup in a story or collaborate with you on some content.
Furthermore, there will also be people you can’t predict when you start. These customers may not be a part of your target audience and buyer persona but benefit from your services or products that are not what you originally intended.
So, always keep an open mind as you define your target audience. Also, make sure to keep your target audience at the center of your mind and develop branding strategies accordingly.
3. Research Competitor Brands
It would be best never to imitate what your competitors and big brands do in your industry. But you should know what they do well and where they fail.
The goal here is to differentiate your brand from the competition to convince your customer to purchase from you over them. Always think about promoting your startup and making it stand out. So, don’t skip this step in your brand-building process.
Do your homework and research your main competitors or the benchmark brands. You may want to study how well they have built their brand name.
4. Integrate Brand Into Every Aspect Of Your Startup
Your brand should be reflected and visible in everything your customer can read, see and hear. For instance, if a customer walks into your store, they should immediately see your brand image, whether around the place or through personal interactions.
Also, anything tangible, from packaging to business cards to advertisements, needs the stamp of your logo and branding personality.
You want to make sure that your brand is consistent and looks the same everywhere on any digital platform. Create consistency with brand visuals and always use your chosen voice for engagement.
Doing so can help create a cohesive brand image that’s more memorable and easier to promote.
Take Away
Don’t overlook the role branding plays in your startup’s success. Sure, it’s not easy to build a brand. But with the right vision, strategy, and a bit of creativity, you can go a long way in the race. And with the above tips, you can improve your branding efforts that will effectively promote and make a name for your startup.
