Now that you understand your ideal client and how to set your product or service apart from your competitors, it’s time to develop your brand. A brand is much more than logos and taglines. Your brand is the experience your company provides for your customers. Every experience your customers have with you is a brand moment. Successful companies like Starbucks and Red Bull use their brand vision to inspire their employees and create a positive corporate culture. You can also think about your brand as the personality of your business.
It is important to consider your customers’ opinions about your brand. This is why you have spent so much time in the previous sections defining your ideal client, creating your UVP and developing your vision statement. Now you can use everything you have learned to create a personality for your business that customers will connect to on an emotional level. This will help your brand resonate with your customers.
This section will help you to develop your brand identity, as well provide you with some tips for developing your visual identity and website.
Your Visual Identity
Your visual identity includes all the imagery and graphical information that expresses how your brand is different from others. It is everything from your logo to the fonts you choose. Your visual identity even includes the interior design of your store or restaurant.
The purpose of a visual identity is to:
- Create an emotional impression: Using a strong visual, consistent colours and images helps your customers remember your brand better.
- Inform your target market about the type of products or services you offer.
- Make sure that your brand personality is the same in all visual material.
Imagine you are creating an important first impression with potential customers. A visual identity gives customers an experience from the moment they discover you until they return to purchase from you again in the future.
You may want to seriously think about spending some money to hire a graphic designer to help you with developing your visual identity. You may find these costs less than you imagined. You have already done a lot of work, so you can tell your designer exactly what your brand personality is and who your ideal client will be. With this knowledge, your designer can accurately create materials in much less time.
There are many great “Do-it Yourself” websites and tools that will help you create a logo and visual materials on a budget, including:
Your Website
Having a website is necessary for your business. Think of your website as a digital “calling card”. Your website tells the world you are available and ready to do business. Visitors will use your site to learn more about your company, research what other customers are saying about you, and make e-commerce purchases.
Do not forget that your website must be consistent with your brand. All the visual elements (fonts, logos, colours and pictures) must be consistent.
Creating your website is another stage in your marketing process. It may be of value to hire a local web design development team. You are already lowering the costs of your website development with your ability to describe your brand personality and having your graphic designs complete.
There are many website building platforms that make it easy for you, or anyone you may hire, to build a professional website.
A few popular platforms are:
