The Basics of Branding: A Guide That Won't Bore You to Death

What is Branding?

Branding is like the personality of your business. It's the way it presents itself to the world, showing off what sets it apart from all the other businesses and competitors out there.

You could see branding a little like a first impression, but for your business. Just like how you want to make a great first impression when you meet someone for the first time, your businesses is the same. By creating a strong brand with impactful visuals and clear messaging, you provide a way for your target audience to find a commonality and connect with your business.

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Why is branding so important?

You might be thinking, “Okay fine I get it, branding something I need to consider with my business, but is it really THAT important?”. Yes… the answer is yes.

Still looking for proof? Alright, let's break things down:

1. Branding makes you stand out. With so many businesses out there and your competitor list growing on the daily, you need to stand out from the crowd. A strong brand can help you do just that.
2. Branding builds trust. You want your customers to trust you, right? Of course, you do! A professional, consistent and considered brand can help build trust and make potential customers more likely to choose you over your competitors.
3. Branding builds loyalty. When your customers have a great experience with your brand, they're more likely to come back for more. We all know that’s the aim of the game, right?

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Creating a strong brand identity

So now that we know why branding is so insanely important and without it we’re all doomed to failure and heading towards the business version of an apocalypse… too dramatic? Okay fine, maybe not impending doom, but things could be better!

Let's have a look at some things to consider when creating a strong brand identity:

1. Brand identity is more than a logo or colour palette. We like to think of a visual / brand identity as a toolkit. That toolkit has a whole bunch of different elements, working together to communicate your brand in a way that hits all the senses!
2. Consistency is key. Use the same logos, colour schemes, and messaging across all your platforms to create recognition and trust with your audience.
3. No need to shout. You don’t go around shouting that you love Formula 1, or hate eating your vegetables; there’s a time and place for both of those things. It’s the same for your brand identity, you don’t have to shout every value, or use bright colours to get your point across.

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Share your story

Ever hear the saying, “Sharing is caring”? Well that’s the same for your brand story. By sharing how you got to where you are today, or what you’re mission is helps to connect with your audience on an emotional level.

Not only does this help connect with your audience, but stand out against your competitors.

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Measuring success

Finally, it's important to track and measure the success of your brand. This can be really hard for a lot of brands, not knowing exactly how and what to measure. Some of the ways you can keep an eye on your metrics include:

1. Recording customer loyalty through returning customer metrics
2. Social media presence and engagement
3. Website traffic
4. Brand awareness surveys

By measuring your success, you can see what's working and what's not, and adjust your branding strategy accordingly.

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Final thoughts

I think it’s time to sums things up, don’t you? It’s pretty clear that branding is a super important aspect of any business. A well thought out and executed brand helps you stand out against your competitors, build trust, and grow a loyal customer base.

You don’t need to make every element of your brand perfect, just make sure the message you are sharing is clear, concise and consistent.

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What next?

Fingers crossed you liked our intro into Branding. Stay tuned for our next post, where we'll dive deeper into the process of creating a strong and consistent brand identity. Catch you later!

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