Branding is one of the most important aspects of your business. It’s what sets you apart from the competition. It’s how people identify and connect with you. It’s what you stand for and what you strive to be.
That being said, there’s more to branding than flashy logos and catchy headlines. Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating a comprehensive branding plan for your business:
Define yourself.
What does your business do? What’s your business all about? How do you want customers to perceive your company? Sure, you provide quality products and services and strive for 100% customer satisfaction. Dig a little deeper. Put yourself in the shoes of your customers and really think about the things that you want them to see in your business.
Tip: Spend some time crafting a strong mission statement for your company and refer to it frequently to make sure you’re staying true to your vision.
Find your voice.
Brand messaging is key and choosing an appropriate voice (and sticking to it) will give your brand a strong identity. Do you want your message to be conversational, or do you want your brand to have a more professional tone? Do you want to sound formal or informal? Your voice should reflect your mission and purpose, and it needs to really resonate with your audience.
Set brand standards.
Along with choosing a voice, you’ll need to set a color scheme, logo guidelines, and style standards. Everything from the website to advertising needs to have the same look and feel. Even the photography needs to fit the brand’s identity, so make sure you have standards in place before moving forward with any marketing or advertising.
Consistency is key.
The most important part of branding is staying consistent. Straying from your standards is the fastest way to lose your brand’s identity, as well as your audience. You can certainly make small changes every now and then, but you ultimately need to stay true to your brand. Once you’ve established your brand, go out into the world and absolutely own it.