As a Founder, CEO, Entrepreneur, Startup or Business Owner, you know that in order to succeed, you need to have a strong brand. But what exactly is a brand, and how do you create one? A brand is the identifier of your business – it’s what sets you apart from your competition and tells your customers who you are, what you do, and why they should care. Your brand strategy is the roadmap that will take you from where you are now to where you want to be. Keep reading to learn how to create your brand strategy.
1. Know Your Audience
Before you can start working on your branding, you need to know who you’re talking to. Who are your ideal customers? What age are they? What gender? Where do they live? What do they do for work? What are their interests? Once you have a good understanding of who you’re trying to reach, you’ll be able to craft a brand that resonates with them.
2. Conduct a Competitive Analysis
Once you know who your target audience is, it’s time to take a look at the competition. What brands are already competing for the attention of your target audience? How are they positioning themselves? What kind of messaging are they using? By conducting a competitive analysis, you can get a better sense of what branding strategies are working well for other businesses in your industry and adapt them to fit your own needs.
3. Develop Your Positioning Statement
Your positioning statement is a brief summary of how you want your brand to be perceived by others. It answers the question, “What makes my brand different from my competitors?” For example, Nike’s positioning statement might be something like “For athletes who want the latest and greatest technology in their shoes.” Keep in mind that your positioning statement should be based on real differentiators—not just empty marketing fluff.
Once you’ve developed your positioning statement, use it as a litmus test for all of your marketing and branding decisions moving forward. If something doesn’t align with your position, ditch it.
4. Create Your Visual Identity
Your visual identity is how you visually represent your brand to the world. It includes everything from your logo design and color palette to the fonts and style of imagery you use on your website and social media channels. When done well, strong visual branding can make an instant impression on people and help them remember your business long after they’ve seen it. Investing in professional graphic design services can help ensure that your visual identity is polished and on-brand.
5. Get Started on Content
Content is critical when it comes to branding because it’s how you actually communicate your message to your audience. Blog posts, social media posts, eBooks, white papers – whatever form it takes, make sure your content expresses who you are as a company and speaks directly to the needs of your target customer base.
Creating a brand can seem like a daunting task but if you approach it methodically, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By following these five steps—defining your target audience, conducting a competitive analysis, developing Your position statement Creating Your visual identity, and Writing voice guidelines for Your brand—you can create a well-rounded brand strategy that will help make sure Your business is always staying one step ahead of the competition.
