Branding Tips For Beginners

Ever heard of BackRub? Established in 1996 as a cutting edge search engine, BackRub checked the number of back-links to a website in order to rank its importance. This preliminary brand name, along with its alarmingly literal BackRub logo, didn’t last long. In one of the most inspired branding revamps of all time, the founders of BackRub changed the name to Google, and the rest is history.

Establishing your Brand

The concept of branding may sound like an airy fairy notion, far removed from the nuts and bolts reality of running a small business – all well and good for big players with big marketing budgets, but way down the list of priorities for a small firm with a million and one more pressing demands. So, why care about branding?

Branding is Reputation

You might not realise it, but your business already has a brand. Branding is reputation. If you consider your reputation to be important, and if you have put time and effort into building up your business reputation, then branding matters to you. It is through branding that you will secure customer trust and loyalty and attract new customers to grow your business.

It’s worth taking the time to focus on your business by putting together a brand plan. Involve your staff – brainstorm ideas, encourage creativity, make it fun so everyone they feels included and valued.

First Impressions

It may be an old cliche, but first impressions really do count. Think about the routes by which potential customers find you – it could be that they walk in off the street or look you up in Yellow Pages, but it’s more likely these days that they’ll find you via your website or even an external website such as Trip Advisor. Make sure you understand all the ways customers get to know about your business – their first experience is all part and parcel of your brand image.

What Makes You So Special?

Distinctive branding will set your business apart from the competition, strengthen your identity and encourage customer loyalty. Take a look at your logo. Customers will get to know you through your logo, so make sure it is unique, attractive and professional. Do you have a tag line? A snappy one-liner that sums up the essence of your business can give your brand focus even if you decide not to use it in the end.

Define your company values. Core values that chime with those of your customers will help establish an emotional connection to your brand. Encourage feedback from your customers and promote the values that you know you have in common. Establishing a connection and building up trust will generate repeat custom and bring in new customers through word of mouth.

Be True to Your Brand

Finally, keep your branding consistent. Once your brand is established and you know it is working well, don’t be tempted to chop and change. Successful branding takes time to develop, so stay true to your brand, give it chance to grow and it is certain to help you deliver the goods.