Business branding is more than just your logo. Your business branding is what sets you apart from other similar businesses. It illustrates who you are, what you stand for and how you run your business – not to mention how you want to be seen, the story behind your business and how you even do business.

Put simply, business branding is everything from your logo, fonts and company colours, right through to how you treat customers and advertise. That’s why getting the right branding for your business is essential!

Who are you in business to serve?

Your business branding starts with knowing everything you can about your ideal customer. What are they like and what do they do? What do they need and why do they need it? These are the type of questions you need to ask yourself, to find out both the person you’re looking to engage with and the emotive reasons behind their desire or need to have what you provide. This not only helps you talk and build rapport with them, it also helps you to get clear on the words, colours and visuals that will appeal to them.

What is it that drives your business?

Why do you do what you do and what drives you to do that? What is your reason for being in business – who can you help; how can you help? What do you stand for and believe in? These questions all help you to find the things that get you out of bed in the morning and move you into action on a daily basis. If it makes it easier, create a mission statement for your business – just know what is driving you forward.

How do you want to be seen?

This isn’t about creating a different persona, it’s about ensuring that you and your business match. You’re what makes your business – so you need to inject you into it. How do you want to be seen and what do you feel strongly about? How do you speak, what do you love, what quirks and traits do you have? Do you love dogs or horses? How can you include that in your branding? Maybe you want to be seen as approachable, friendly and informal, but your current website looks stiff and formal? This not only creates a mismatch for you, your clients will sense that too – especially when they interact with you.

How can you accurately portray your message in your business branding?

Your answers to what drives you forward and how you want to be seen, are the things you need to portray in your branding. This includes your colours, the images and fonts you use, as well as the overriding message you want to share – and yes, your logo! For instance, a handwritten script font, the use of hearts and warm colours in your website, will all help illustrate a warm, friendly and informal nature – as will creating informal videos, such as Facebook Lives, and sharing informal images of you on your social media. You can pick images for your blogs, incorporating hearts or using your colour palette, to further enhance the overall feelings you want your brand to portray.

Business branding is a huge subject and one that we’ve only just skimmed the surface on, with today’s post. It takes time to do branding right – and it’s never fully complete, as you can tweak it and alter it, as you get to know yourself and your business better.  However, once implemented, it’s something that will help you to attract your ideal customers, build a better relationship with them and help your business grow.

Branding is something that takes time to investigate, create and implement. However, it’s something that can also be done yourself, if you wish to do so – but it pays to get in some expert advice. What are your thoughts about branding? Is it something you’re happy to do, or something you feel really is best left to the experts? Why not share your thoughts and opinions, in the comments box below!