Brand Building 101: What You Need to Know

Building a strong brand means everything for your business. Here's a quick guide to brand building and what it can do for you.

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It's hard to have success as a business without a great brand.

Branding helps you bring in new customers and can encourage previous customers to come back.

So what are the basics for developing a great brand? Check out this guide to brand building.

Have an Iconic Logo

No discussion about brand building is complete without talking about your logo.

Everything about your company is encompassed in your logo. Your products, your service, and your community are all summed up by this one piece of artwork.

The first key to a great logo is that it should set you apart from the crowd. Aim for something unique to ensure that you'll never be confused with something else.

Your logo should also show people who you are and what you do. Someone should be able to see your logo and understand that you're a pizza shop or an auto mechanic or a place to learn more about distance healing.

Finally, a logo needs to stand the test of time. Constantly changing your logo hurts your long-term branding. Create something that you think can last for generations, like the McDonald's arches or Coca-Cola wordmark.

Use Colors Effectively

Picking a color scheme to use on your logo and other branding materials is about more than choosing your favorite hues.

In marketing, color can have a profound effect on an audience. Certain colors can elicit emotions or subconscious feelings.

If done effectively, you can build a more positive perception of your business through color alone. In contrast, the wrong choices can hurt you.

Do some research and analysis on which colors would be the best fit for your company and industry.

Be Consistent

When you hear the phrase "Just Do It," you immediately think of one brand: Nike.

That's because Nike has used the same slogan since 1988. Even though it's not a name or a logo, "Just Do It" is synonymous with the apparel giant.

Consistent messaging is an instrumental part of Nike's dominant brand. Whether it's a shoe advertisement or a social media graphic for a t-shirt, the message stays the same - Wear our gear and you'll kick butt.

You don't need to be an international powerhouse to follow their example.

Maintaining consistency is what ties the different aspects of your brand together. Your website should look like your social media pages. Your digital presence should share the same attitude as your office decor and documentation.

When you create your brand, stick to it in everything that you do.

Provide Great Service

Your logo, messaging, and advertisements are only part of building a strong brand.

Marketing can only go so far without a great company to back it up. Branding is about representing your business. So what kind of business is it representing?

For a truly great brand, you need to offer valuable products and provide top-tier customer service. You need to build meaningful relationships with your customers and the community you serve.

It's on the back of your products, services, and interactions that your reputation is built. It's what makes people think of something positive when they hear your name or see your logo.

More Brand Building Tips

Building a great brand is vital to the success of your business. For more tips on branding, check out our brand building blog.