A Successful Business Brand: The Vital Rules

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As an entrepreneur, you’ll agree with me that running a business is not child’s play. It is demanding, draining and of course time-consuming. Nonetheless, for every entrepreneur with a brand goal, there are several hacks. One of which is ‘Branding’, the main topic of this discourse.

Why does business branding matter? Your business is your lifeblood. You live by it, work by it, and you rest by it. The same goes for branding. It's a way of establishing your brand identity and what your product stands for.

"You are your own brand." This is a phrase we hear often, but we seldom stop to consider the deeper meaning of what it means. It is not just a tagline, your business is you.

Let’s look at it this way; personal branding is the process of strategically presenting yourself and your qualifications to the world. Whether your goal is to get a new job, land a new customer, or recruit the next top talent, understanding your strengths and how people perceive you will help you succeed. Only this time, we are relating to business only, how people perceive your business.

Business branding is the way you communicate a message to your customers and it's important to keep in mind that branding is never a one-time thing.

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When you design your business' brand, you're not just designing the logo and naming your company, you're defining the tone of voice, the feel, the look, and the personality of your company as a whole.

You're telling your customers what your company is all about and how they should feel when they interact with it. Hopefully, these rules will help you with your brand.

1. Keep It Simple

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One thing you should focus on when building a brand is simplicity. You want a brand that’s simple, but timeless and memorable, such wheresoever people spot your brand logo, they can remember without a fuss.

Think of the big leagues like Nike, Adidas, Apple, etc. Don’t overdo the visual identity(logo, card, etc.) for your business because it will only make it look tacky.

Use a few colors to achieve this as well, don’t go mixing five to six colors. If you have the funds, find a professional to help you handle this.

While doing this, think about what your logo will look like as a tiny profile image on Instagram and other social media platforms.

1. Be consistent

Consistency is key, regardless of the size of your business. One thing is for sure; no business got as big as they are today without consistency.

If you have a social media page, for instance, customize all your posts such that there is a pattern to be followed. The colors of the graphics, the font, the arrangement. On my business page, for instance, I post 3 items for sale, followed by a graphics post.

Design a content calendar for your business if you must(I’ll write about this soon). Now, follow all of these guidelines religiously. Fine-tune your brand such that they become very appealing and attractive to all and sundry who come across them. This way, it speaks ‘consistency’ to your target audience.

3 Be Unique

I have seen a lot of business owners get this wrong. Your branding should always to a great level represent what you do. You can’t run a lingerie business and have your logo looking like that of a Chinese restaurant.

Also, you cannot design a Tech company’s logo to look like that of a real estate agent. Also, try not to make your brand logo too predictable, leave people inquisitive. You do not have to represent a lingerie brand with aa panties.

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1. Work on your pitch

This may not seem like an entirely big deal to you, but trust me, it is. Also known as an elevator pitch. Here, give your brand a definition that tells people who you are, what you do, what sets your business apart from competitors, why they should choose you.

Practice your pitch and build your business on those principles rightly stated in your pitch. Also, If you have to tell a prospective buyer or investor about your business in 60 seconds, what would you say?

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1. Know Your Competition

Before anything else, do your research. This is just so you understand the industry you are getting into. How do you fit in? Who are your major competitors? And what sets them apart from the rest?
What are their brand images like?

What are your unique ideas? Remember, you want to fit nicely into the marketplace, but not look too much like anything else. Do not be a copycat.

Lastly, create a website for your business if you have the budget to do so. This is mostly to give your brand credibility. It tells people that your brand can be trusted 24/7/365. Here’s a link to an article I wrote in this regard.

Thanks for reading.

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