branding is more than a logo

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Whether you run an online business, or also operate a brick and mortar store or office space, branding is often the key to success. Many businesses go for years without clear and memorable branding and then wonder why they’re not pulling in new clients or growing as they’d hoped. A mistake many smaller businesses and sole traders make is not seeing themselves as a brand. When they think Brand, they think of huge corporations, names like Nike and McDonald’s. But, even bloggers now create brands for themselves.

Creating powerful branding for your business, whatever you do, helps to get you noticed. Clients and customers will spot your branding across different platforms and recognize it immediately. It will help to build trust and get you taken seriously, and it can be a big part of standing out from the crowd.

But, you don’t just want to quickly design a logo on Canva and start putting it on everything. Creating a brand takes a little more work than that. Let’s take a look at what you need to do.

Know Your Brand

Creating a logo and choosing a color scheme is hard. Sometimes even choosing a name for your company can be tough. The best thing to do is know it inside out. If your company is modern, and your offices and website are minimal and full of white space, a fussy and colorful logo isn’t going to work. Linking the two together is something that many people find difficult, so contact SmashBrand who can help you sort out your ideas and create your branding from start to finish.

Keep it Simple

One mistake people make is trying to get too much into their logo and getting carried away with their website design. Think about all the brands you love. I bet their designs are simple and easy on the eye. Simple logos are much easier to remember and recognize.

Make Sure It’s Clear

Another common mistake is over complicating things. Users shouldn’t have to spend an hour trawling through your website to find out what it is you actually do. And, they won’t. If things aren’t immediately clear, there will click away. Make sure what you do, and why you are different is obvious as soon as people look at your site.

Display Your Brand Story

Remember, branding isn’t just about your logo, color scheme and tagline. There’s a lot more to it. It’s about who you are. Your story, your morals and your aims. Think about your business. Where it started, how it got to where it is now, what you wanted in the beginning and what your company stands up for. Think about your goals for the future and any specific targets you have. Then, write your brand story. Let people in. Displaying your brand story on your website, in your office and on your marketing materials helps your customers and clients to see the people behind the business. It can be what gets you remembered and builds return custom. Be proud of who you are and what you stand for. Others will be too.

Branding can be the key to your success, so take your time to get it just right.

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The business landscape is very competitive. You don’t need anyone to tell you that. If you own a business then you’ve likely already come face to face with some of the competition. It can be tough to find any form of success when the biggest names in your respective industry seem to have monopolized the market. What hope is there that you’ll reel in potential customers when they’re already getting the same goods and services from your competitors? Well, the thing that makes a company stand out is their brand. That’s where you have to shine. And if you want your company’s brand to be successful then here are some tips.

Impress the consumer.

Improving your workforce should do a lot to impress the average consumer. Of course, it’s not the only improvement you’ll have to make to your brand if you want to increase your company’s sales. The path to a successful brand starts by making good first impressions. As we’ll go on to discuss, marketing plays a huge role in this but your business’ physical presence is another way in which it “advertises” its brand.

You might want to spruce up your company’s office so as to make a better impression on clients who see it, regardless of whether your business is store-based or not. You could look into a wood iPad stand to provide a sleek POS in the reception area. You could even spruce up the front of your business office or store by putting some captivating products in the window if you want to go down the traditional route. The point is that you have to make a good first impression, whatever the industry in which your business is based.

Motivate your workforce.

Your brand depends on people. Yes, a flashy logo and a sleek design might wow people when they first see an advert but visuals can only get you so far. If your brand slogan promises “excellent customer service 24/7” but your workers are grouchy or unhelpful when dealing with customers on the phone or via social media platforms then your business’ brand isn’t going to hold together for long. You’ve got to work on your reputation if you want to build up a client-base, so focus on improving your company behind the scenes in order to make your brand real. A successful brand is all about the right company culture, at the end of the day.

Introducing flexible working could help to boost morale, for example. Giving employees the freedom to work from home or in the office might make them feel a little more productive. Some people work well in a social environment but some people need peace and quiet to get things done. Ridding people of the shackles of the dull “9 to 5 desk job” could be the change your brand needs in order for its workforce to be a little happier and more helpful when providing customer service (as well as producing a higher quality product).