Startup founders and small business owners have a lot on their plate – business development, client management, team management, finance, the list is endless. It is only natural then, to let the activities that seem not so essential to the day-to-day operations, such as branding to be overlooked. But, evidence has shown, that there is considerable merit in spending some time to create a brand strategy for your startup.
Here are 4 simple branding strategies that you can implement even with a limited budget.
You are probably already aware of the benefits of creating a strong brand. It is what helps sets you apart from the crowd and can also help build a long-term connection with your consumer. Building a strong brand is important for businesses focused on B2C as well as B2B customers.
If you still aren’t convinced, here are some more reasons why it is important to invest in your brand:
Ultimately, it is your brand that will help you to move from being “just another startup”, into a powerful industry, sector, or household name.
But, a good brand is incomplete without a good strategy to help bring alignment and direction. A branding strategy gives an outline and a plan to work through, making sure that you hit all the goals along the way.
While it takes time and effort to create the perfect brand strategy for your startup or small business, the results are well worth the effort.
Building a brand is hard enough when you have an abundance of resources (people, time, and money). So, startups and small businesses need to put in that extra effort to overcome these shortcomings.
Here, we offer you 4 (relatively) easy-to-implement strategies to ensure that your branding stays on point, even if you have limited resources.
Branding is more than just your name, logo, colour, etc. However, these form an integral part of your branding strategy. They are what will help bring your brand alive and communicate its personality and purpose.
We have listed out a few of the basic elements that you will need:
Getting these in place is only the start of your process. It is what will form the base on which you will need to build.
Most often in your enthusiasm to communicate quickly, you might forget that you are ultimately speaking with human beings. And, all human beings are governed by emotions. When you speak to the heart (emotion), you are able to tap into parts of the brain that help in recall and memory.
So, focus on how you want your audience to feel when they come in contact with your brand.
Here are some ways to build an emotional connection:
This strategy may be really easy or really difficult for you to implement. But once you get the hang of it, it makes everything related to your brand fun, relatable and exciting.
There are more than 4.6 billion people with access to the internet and over 3.6 billion social media accounts today. It is hence safe to say that if your brand is not visible online, it may as well not exist. Creating a website or social media account does not cost anything.
Consumers are increasingly turning to official social media accounts to research new brands, learn more about them, get the opinions of others, and interact with the brands themselves.
Here are some things to keep in mind when you go digital:
By creating an online presence that aligns with your brand identity, you will be able to connect and engage with your audience at their convenience.
Imagine meeting a person who constantly changes their look, sounds different all the time, and is inconsistent with their reactions. We either don’t think too highly of them or don’t seem to recognize them when we see them. Being consistent helps in recall and reinforces the brand’s personality.
It is important that your brand maintains consistency of tonality, visual elements, and style across platforms. Consistency may become more and more difficult as your team grows and the ‘brand touchpoints’ increase over time.
Here are some tips to help you maintain consistency:
Consistency and coherence help you nurture your brand right from the start.
It is never too early or too late for a startup to consider building a branding strategy. When you are able to differentiate yourself and create a unique personality for your brand, it puts you in a very different league.
Consider creating a branding strategy as an investment that is going to give you returns several times over. You might even consider using the services of a professional brand development company to help you build your strategy.
If you need help with your brand strategy, get in touch with us. We have brand development services that are specific to startups and small businesses.