How To Build a Brand from Scratch: 4 Steps
How To Build a Brand from Scratch: 4 Steps
Your brand is the first impression you make on your audience. Think of it this way…have you ever had a conversation with a friend where you’re trying to describe someone you both know? It may have gone something like this: “Do you know Phil? He’s the one with glasses and the low voice?” This is an example of how a person’s (or business’s) best and strongest traits always rise to the top. This is what branding is all about! It’s the first impression. It’s the color, shape, and personality of your business. It’s easier than you think to build a brand that stands out and resonates with your target audience. Here are 4 ways on how to build a brand that makes an impact.
- Establish what sets you apart from the rest
Something you can do before building your brand is look at what other people in your niche are doing. Put their branding side-by-side and create a look that is different and unexpected.
We expect a vegan restaurant to have green in its logo, and if you’re going for a classic approach then maybe green is your best bet. However, it doesn’t hurt to come up with some small ways you can set yourself apart from other businesses in your niche that don’t have to do with color.
- How to build your brand with target audience in mind
Here’s how to build a truly unique brand. Decide on the audience you want to reach (their age group, where they hang out, what they do for fun etc.) and aim your brand at them. Remember, you don’t want to please everyone. There will be some things that your brand will say that others won’t, and that’s okay. You don’t want to play it too safe when it comes to building a brand. Your goal is to really stand out and garner the attention of your chosen audience.
- Get clear on the personality of your brand
The aesthetics are the easy part, but what about the personality? Maybe you want to be more “personal” and show a lot of behind-the-scenes videos from the kitchen. Or maybe, you want to be more professional and only show high-quality, magazine-worthy photos in your marketing campaign and social media. Think about it!
- Use your branding in everything you do
Now that you have your brand established, use it everywhere so that your audience gets familiar with it. There’s no point in having a unique brand and not branding anything! Use your brand’s logo and chosen font and colors in your social media campaign as well as your signage, your reception area, delivery vans and everywhere!
When learning how to build a brand, there are 4 main things to keep in mind. Decide what makes you different from brands in your niche, incorporate your brand into everything (and we mean everything), establish a clear personality, and finally, don’t worry about pleasing everyone. Focus on your target audience. So, there you go: how to build a brand and make your business stand out from the rest.
