Branding is one of the key aspects of any business. Branding is the practice of employing marketing approaches that are aimed at making something or someone stands out. Often time branding is misconstrued to mean something that it is not. Branding is not necessarily meant for big businesses as some entrepreneurs might think. Every entrepreneur must pay close attention to the branding dynamics of their business. In this article, I will touch on 9 things you need to bear in mind as you work on branding your business.

Your Brand Is Much More Than Your Logo

This is one of the most common misconceptions about branding. Most people think that coming up with a sleek and stylish logo is what constitutes branding. Well, branding goes well beyond just the logo because it entails quite a lot. There is nothing wrong in giving attention to coming up with a great logo but that is not all there is to branding.

Inexpensive Design Is Actually Expensive

The truth is there are countless apps out there one can use to design logos, flyers, banners and so on. However, you must invest in getting professionals to work on your branding materials. It can be tempting to just do something with Canva or PicsArt but it is best to have a graphic designer work on aspects to do with branding. Settling for cheap designs might seem convenient but might not elicit the best response which will cost your business in the long run.

Sales And Branding

We all know that the crux of a business is realizing sales. Sales have an important relationship with branding. Branding is aimed at creating and establishing relationships and connections with people. Once that is done it culminates in sales, which is revenue and that translates to profit. Thus you must never trivialize the importance of branding.

Use Catchy Names

From your business name to marketing campaigns, hashtags and so on, always use catchy names. The idea of catchy names helps in that they are memorable and invite people to share and talk about them.

Build Lasting Strategies

In every aspect of branding do not settle for things that will quickly fizzle out. Rather you must come up with systemic and systematic strategies that will stand the test of time. A strategy ought to be reproducible, sustainable and cost-effective at the same time. Think of the Nike catchphrase “Just Do It” – it is not something that is confined to just one campaign. It can be used in any campaign and at any time; it is timeless and boundless.

A Brand Must Be Personified

A brand is somewhat a means by which an entrepreneur expresses them self. In fact, I am saying that to tell you that is the epitome of a well-crafted brand. If you a fun-loving, extroversive, and bubbly character that must be personified in your brand. This is important because you must gel with your brand. By so doing people will fall in love with both you and your business. Even if you do not wish your brand to relate to your personality at least your brand must communicate a certain personality that appeals to your target market.

The How And Why Matters Most

Most entrepreneurs and businesses dwell solely on what they do. Actually, in life, I have observed that people dwell most on what they do. Knowing what you must do (as a business) is noble and a great starting point. Most importantly you must know how and why you must do what you do. This is central to tweaking what you do in a way that enhances productivity and profitability. For instance, it is recommended to use video-based content more in communicating your brand. Knowing why that is so and how to use video in creating content is more important than just knowing you have to use it. Once you know you will realize more strategies you can use in creating your content using video in such a way that will set you apart from other players.

Brand Promise

This is simply the anticipated experience or value that a customer can get from a brand. In your branding, this must be clearly communicated. Customers and prospective customers have expectations when you visit any business. Thus you must make it plain for them to know what to expect. Not only that; it (i.e. the brand promise(s)) must be fulfilled every time a customer interacts with your business.

Target Market Definition

Properly and clearly define your target market. This will enable you to maximize your use of resources in reaching to prospective customers. In fact, you cannot brand well without a clearly defined target market. If this is not done you will most likely waste resources chasing the wind because there will be no objective targeting.

These are 9 of some of the important branding insights you must never forget this year. I will discuss 9 more insights in another article soon. As we start this 2020 go through all these insights critically looking at your business so that you start early and strong.