So, you’ve got things going for your business – that’s great! Now you need to develop an image for your business. An image lets people know that when they see it, it’s your business. For example, McDonald’s is the 2 golden arches and Ronald McDonald. Starbucks has a memorable logo and name, which makes it the gold standard in branding. You want an image that helps the public to associate it with your business whenever they see or hear it.
3 Steps To Build A Brand For The Public To Recognize Your Business
1. Develop An Image
You need to develop a powerful image; one that people recognize right away. The image begins with a business name that makes them remember who you are. Nothing too obscure or fake-sounding, as it does you no good in them remembering it.
You want something that produces a lasting connection with them. Brand names that are obscure from the competition tend to be memorable. A family name can also work because it’s synonymous with a person and gives the business some credibility.
You also need a logo because it’s very important, like the name. How is that? It’s the first tangible connection the public makes with your brand. It tends to answer the questions of who you are, what you offer, and why they should buy from you. There are four things that you need to consider about your logo design:
- Have it reproduced in various media and sizes.
- Reflect your target audience’s sensibilities.
- The message and its intention ought to be clear.
- The design should be distinctively recognizable.
The logo, like the name, needs to make a connection with your public. But it also needs a personality – something that makes people go “oh yeah!” and want to shop at your business.
2.Become Known and Recognized
Where does branding happen? It occurs in your consumers’ minds, but you still need them to know about your business to bring them to your door. There are ways to do this – some cost, some don’t. The ones that charge you to build your brand include:
- Advertisements
- Direct marketing
- Directing
- Trade shows
- Promotion
- Events
- Search engine marketing
Keep in mind that as a startup business, you don’t have a lot to spend. Save yourself cash by using non-traditional forms of media:
- YouTube
- Forums
- Blogs
- Other popular and not-so-popular social media outlets
Remember, when you use them, do the following things:
- Listen to what people are saying; don’t talk and talk and talk.
- Ask them to give their opinion
- Have a story about who you are
- Offer knowledge to your customers
- Talk with people on a personal level
- Thank them for their time
- Learn the wants of your customers
When you launch your business with a limited amount of money, you need to learn what your customers want if you are to succeed.
There are five things to ensure your brand is a success:
- How strong is it now and can it be stronger?
- How satisfied are your potential customers with your competitors?
- Can your brand get a lot of awareness?
- Can your brand make emotional connections with the consumers?
- What percentage of your niche market will cause because of your product’s disruptiveness?
Answering these questions can determine how successful the branding can be for your product. Be sure to do some consumer research – email surveys, focus groups, etc. – to learn if consumers would be willing to recommend the brand to their friends. You need to know what the actual perception of your brand is if you plan on succeeding. Do people like it? Or do people hate it?
