In the world of business, everything comes down to your reputation. You need to appear credible, knowledgeable, and high-quality to stand out above your competitors. This means creating a brand identity that will get consumers excited about your goods and services.
Here, we’re going to give you some awesome branding tips to grow and expand your startup. Read on to learn how to make a unique brand with catchy words, memorable symbols, and connections with the people who matter.
Know Your Target Audience
Branding isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different businesses cater to different audiences and knowing who you’re talking to means that you can tailor your brand to those who matter.
Someone selling software products to upper-level high-income executives is going to make their brand more formal with neutral tones and a professional brand voice. If you’re selling fashion apparel as a B2C eCommerce store, you’re going to be more unprofessional and approachable. Bright colors and informal-sounding blog posts would be more appropriate.
To find your target audience, you’ll want to:
- Use Google Analytics and similar tools to assess the demographics of those using the services of your direct competitors
- Figure out the age, gender, location, income, occupation, and values of those consumers
- Perform audience research to understand their pain points
- Assess what media format your audience prefers (blog posts, video content, infographics, etc)
Once you know what your consumers are looking for, you can make your brand something that they’re going to remember and connect with.
Create an Awesome Brand Name
As a new business, creating a brand name is the first step to establishing a presence within your industry. It’s how people are going to identify and remember you. It’s quite literally the word or phrase that will define your business in the coming years.
Make sure that your brand name is meaningful. It needs to clearly tell people what your brand is all about and foster a connection. It also needs to be relevant to your goods and services so that people can immediately identify what to expect from you.
It also needs to be accessible so people can understand and interpret it. It also needs to be easy to pronounce so that people can talk about it. Spelling is just as important because you want something that people can search for online after hearing the name.
It also needs to be unique and different from anything other businesses might be using. This will ensure that you stand out and that it’s easy for consumers to identify and discuss you. Plus, distinctive brand names are easier to protect with trademarks and online domains.
Make a Memorable Logo
Think about a silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out of it. Then, think about M-shaped golden arches. A simple check mark might also be a good thing to contemplate right now.
We didn’t say anything about Apple, McDonald’s, or Nike, but we’re willing to bet that you thought of them immediately after reading about those symbols.
You want a logo that’s memorable in the same way that these are. The experts in logo design in Melbourne state that logos are visual symbols that people will immediately associate with your business, so make it simple and relevant. You want it to have something to do with your products, but you also want to keep it simple.
A minimalistic logo will be easier to remember. It also will be eye-catching and visually appealing. As your business grows, a simple logo will keep your brand easy to identify and find.
Think about something related to your services or brand name. Go with your gut when it comes to deciding whether you want that to define you.
You can also create multiple variations of the same logo in different colors or with tiny tweaks that set them apart from each other. Then, ask someone else which one they think is the best option.
Have a Solid Social Media Presence
Brand symbols are important, but they’re meaningless unless you have a place to share them with your audience. That’s where platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok come in. 
You’ll want to open accounts on multiple channels. Make sure to prioritize the platforms that your target audience is most likely to use. You can use online data to figure out where people in your target age range, occupation types, and income brackets engage online.
Upload your logo as a profile picture and create a handle that clearly showcases your brand name. Your slogan or a leading product photo would make for a great cover image. Pin a post that directs people to your official website so they can easily go purchase goods and services.
Once you have a cross-channel social media presence, begin to upload:
- Links to top-performing products
- Links to SEO-rich blog posts on your official website
- Coupons and promo codes exclusive to your followers
- Tips and tricks relevant to resolving your target consumers’ pain points
- Images of products and services you’re looking to generate awareness about
- Infographics relaying any relevant data
- Video content that drives interest and engagement
Make sure your DMs are open and respond in a timely manner. This will ensure that consumers know how to connect with you.
Establish a Brand Voice
Consistency is key when it comes to branding. You want people to view your business as one cohesive entity that they connect to. Brand voice- the tone that you use when relaying information to your consumers- is critical here.
Make sure that you’re always warm and approachable. Use the same level of contractions and a similar vocabulary level across posts. You might even want to go a step further and establish inside jokes with your audience across multiple posts.
This will make people connect with your brand on a human level. They’re more likely to feel loyal to you and choose your business over competitors in the future.
Now that you know how to build a great brand identity, it’s time to begin getting your name and message out there. Start looking for your target audience to get inspired. Then, check out our “business” tab to learn more about branding and making a name for yourself.
