Business Branding Basics: Forge an Unforgettable Identity

Forging an unforgettable identity is one of the most important aspects to your business success. With the millions of businesses being created each year, it is important to make sure your business stands out from your competition and makes an impact. And one of the most potent tools in achieving this is effective branding.

Effective branding transcends mere aesthetics, it encompasses all elements of your business and wraps into a perfectly formulated package that is your business identity. It is your unique story, a strangers first impression of your business, your recognition, and it is the magnetic force that drives your audience to your offer.

Whether you are just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey or have been running your business for years, branding is vital to both your customer journey and the core identity of your business.

Why is Branding important?

Your brand is your business’ first impression to the world. Having a uniform authentic brand shows professionalism and helps to build trust with your audience. That’s not to say you need to follow a template or be boring, quite the opposite really, you can be as loud and creative as you want, so long as it ties into who you or your business are as a whole. Branding is a way to interweave all that you do collectively, so that your business and brand can become recognisable to your audience.

Designing your brand is your opportunity to flaunt your business’ style, personality and values in a way that is authentic to your overall goal and message. It is also a great way to target your audience and give them an idea about who you are before they need to dive deeper.

Tying everything together and being consistent with your brand image is also one of the best and easiest ways to build trust with your audience. As people trust what they recognise, and are more likely to choose what they already know and are familiar with, opposed to taking a gamble on someone they don’t.

The 3 basic elements for effective branding

1 - Branding your business starts with the visual aspects.

This includes your logo, colour scheme, typography and layout. These visual elements need to harmonise together to link all aspects of your business. While you can choose any colour, typeface or imagery that appeals to you, you should consider your audience first and foremost. Who are they? What appeals to their needs/preferences? How can you make things easy and visually appealing for them? There are hundreds of different ways to do this, and one of the simplest is through imagery in your logo.

e.g Using imagery in your logo - a flower for a florist. A paw print for a vet. Scissors for a hairdresser. Tools for a tradie.

You get the idea, and while you don’t need to stick to stereotype imagery it is an effective way to create an instant effect, and awareness about your business’ core value. If you choose this route get creative, you want to stand out from your competitors, while also showcasing your core values. Consider your audience, what colours are appealing to them and what typeface is suitable?

2 - You need to tell your story.

Every brand has a narrative, and it should be shown throughout your content. Not just what you sell/do but why? Why do you do what you do? Who does it help? Why should your audience choose you? What do you offer? Your audience want to know, why they should trust you, and are more likely to trust someone, who is passionate about what they do and believe in their values, and you show this through effective branding.

3 - Be consistent and authentic.

Consistency and authenticity are important for gaining recognition and building trust with your audience. Stay true to your values and don’t copy others, if you want your audience to choose you, be authentic and unique - not an imitation of everyone else, or worse your competition. If you feel you have to copy your competition to succeed, then you will always be a step behind. Speak your truth. Do your research and discover what is best suited to your audience’s needs, and it will put you ahead of the game. Consider what they love, what problems of theirs you can fix, then tailor your brand accordingly.

These branding basics are what showcase your business to make it unique, memorable, relatable and ultimately successful, so it is important to make sure you implement them effectively to achieve long term success.

Until next time, Happy Writing!

Want to unlock the key to brand identity that will blow your audience away, assert your authority and make your business unforgettable? Then join The Digital Branding Journey, where you will not only learn the key branding secrets, but I will deep dive into your business and tailor my services to your brand specifically to help you find your unique voice, establish your brand identity, generate leads, increase your traffic and build your presence online through engaging creative content.

Hi there! I’m Kaeleigh, a Digital Marketer with a focus on Creative Content & Copywriting, who helps business owners and entrepreneurs generate leads, increase traffic and build their brands through engaging creative content.