Imagine adding some salt into a pot full of water & calling it soup. That's how many owners of small businesses see the issue of branding. Often I've heard entrepreneurs say, "WE ARE BRANDING", only to discover that they just had a logo & flyer created. Branding is a totality of who you are & what your customers think about you. Designs are only a part of external branding. A complete branding begins from the internal & proceeds to the external. Branding is much more than just a logo or an advertisement. According to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, "Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room". Read this https://read.cash/@Jeffsmith/branding-and-its-importance-to-businesses-f97aa4ed to know what branding is and its importance. Building a brand is a process. It doesn't happen overnight or even in a month. Its generating awareness about your business with the use of marketing strategies to create a significant and lasting image in the marketplace.
How to build a brand
Discover your brand
You need to know the purpose behind your brand, why you exist? What differentiates you from others? What problem do you solve? and why should people care?. Discover what you want to represent not just today, but what is it that you want to represent for the rest of your life.
“Every successful brand has a powerful purpose behind it. And so should you. Dig deep and find those nuggets of truth which can distinguish your brand from others”. Sonia Gregory
Research your competition and your target audience
Identify what your competitors are doing. For instance, you should know what they do well or where they fail. Your goal should be to differentiate from the competition. You can do this with colours, logo, and brand name, how you identify yourself, and so on. You should keep in mind who exactly you are trying to reach. Make sure you are reflecting your audience's tastes and goals. Try to figure out your consumer's behavior.
Define your voice
How do you communicate with your customers, and how do they respond to you? Your brand voice could be professional, friendly, authoritative, informative, conversational, and service-oriented, it could even be funny. Once you define your brand voice, you can ensure that your logo and your brand all reflect that. Maintaining a voice will help your brand image become recognized in various channels.
Be your brand
Your brand doesn't start from your website or your logo, flyers, No. The core message of your brand is you. Your brand should be you. Customers are real people so they want to relate with you, not your business. Embrace all parts of you. Do not be afraid to be who you are. Make your personality stand out in every aspect of your brand building process.
Create your brand logo
The most exciting and important piece of the brand-building process is to create a logo for your business. A logo is the face of your company and could potentially be everywhere that your brand exists. You'll want a logo that's unique, identifiable, and professional. You can work with a professional designer with a branding design experience to help build your brand.
Finally, when you build a brand that works for your small business, you are the best advocates to market your brand.
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