If you’ve put your heart and soul into your business, the last thing you want is to fade into the background. Establishing a recognisable brand for yourself is paramount to business growth. It gets you noticed, recognised, and secures more sales.
Wondering why you should bother? Or struggling to get started?
Let’s break things down.
What is a brand?
Your brand is what helps people recognise your business, whether that’s your product, service, or company in general.
A brand can be any distinguishable feature that differentiates your business or product from others in your industry. It’s what people conjure up in their minds when they think of your business. Maybe it’s your witty slogan, eye-catching logo, colour palette, or theme tune. Your brand is what makes your business you, and what you represent to other people.
If you see a tick on a pair of shoes, you think Nike. If you hear “because you’re worth it”, it’s L’Oreal.
You get the point, right?
Why bother?
Branding is used a lot in marketing and advertising.
But why?
Building a brand helps get your name out there. It creates an impression on consumers and gives them something to remember and recognise in the future. If you have a distinct look or personality, it’s easier to stand out. If you’ve branded yourself well, a simple image or a few words on social media will be enough to capture attention.
In a lot of ways, your branding is the quickest way a consumer will determine whether they believe in you or not. If a business has non-existent or ineffective branding, an audience will automatically be put off. If you’ve got a strong brand, you’ll appear more professional and stand apart from your competition. Your brand is your business’s first impression, so it’s important to make it count.
Finally, a distinguished brand increases the value of your business. Whether you’re looking to entice new customers, staff, or investors, a solid brand strategy will make you a bigger catch.
Tips for getting started
Knowing what a brand is and how it’s useful is only step one. It also happens to be the easiest step. The hard part is actually creating a brand that can stand up to scrutiny. Here are some tips to get you going:
- Think of your brand as your business’s personality – it’s who you are and not necessarily what you offer.
- All the platforms you use should be cohesive and recognisably you.
- Take time to get to know who you are – think about your values, aims, beliefs, and motivations. Without incorporating these into your branding, it won’t get you where you want to go.
- Approach everything with your business’s core values in mind – 89% of shoppers stay loyal to brands that share their values.
- Determine your audience – consider what they will respond best to and what they might be looking for in a brand.
- Decide on your voice – what do you want your business to say? And how do you want it to say it?
If you haven’t already thought about it, creating a brand for your business can be extremely beneficial for building your reputation, increasing your reach, and helping you to stand out from the rest.
It’s within your control to choose what you want your message to be, how you want to be perceived, and how you want to be remembered. Keep in mind that Coca-Cola didn’t get their reputation overnight, but there’s no reason you can’t follow in their footsteps.
If you’ve ever considered expanding your brand reach, you should take a look at how easy it is to run a multi-brand business like Virgin or Unilever.
To get your name out there, you need to be supported by software that can do it all. From the initial startup to full speed ahead, Shopit is the essential backbone your business needs. Our platform can take care of all things eCommerce, while you work on building your brand. Find out more on our website.
Surahi believes in that good people, good processes and structure produce great companies.
With a keen interest in globalisation and personalisation, she writes about the opportunities for growth to everyone