While building a new brand or rebranding your business can be an exciting time for most business owners, it can also raise a lot of questions about which fonts to use, what style of logo to create, which colours look best, and so on.
And the last thing you want is to go through this entire process only to discover that you’ll have to repeat it a year from now.
Therefore, how can you ensure that this does not happen to you? We’ve compiled a list of our top four strategies for developing a lasting brand identity.
You can also use this as a mini-checklist when developing new branding to ensure that it does not fall into any of these areas.
Make sure it resonates with your audience
Even though I’ve talked about this for a long time, I still find myself repeating it. It’s absurd. I think I go quite nuts trying to explain this, and turning people onto the idea no matter what you like it’s not about you! Sorry.
You are not the focus of your brand! Your customer is the star of the show, not you.
That doesn’t mean, though, that your storey isn’t important. Most of us got our start in company by identifying a personal need that wasn’t being met and devising a solution to fill that gap.
Even so, we’re not attempting to lure ourselves to our company’s door. Your ideal clients are likely to be turned away if you’re investing your time establishing a brand and brand identity around yourself, your interests, and where you’re at.
Instead, spend some time figuring out who you’re trying to reach and then design your logo and branding to appeal to them.
Creating a long-lasting business is possible if you continually engage with customers through your brand messaging and imagery.
Aim for Simplicity and Memorable
In a new place, have you ever gone into a store to buy eggs? It’s an easy task, right? So how did you become utterly lost in the middle of a shopping trip that was supposed to last just five minutes?
Trying to pack too many colours, fonts, and aspects into a logo or brand will actually make people feel that way.
In addition to being easier to recall, the more straightforward something is, the better it is for building your brand’s identity.
So, what can you do to keep things as simple as possible?
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Create three distinct logos, but your primary logo should always take precedence.
- For your colour pallet, adhere to a set of six hues (3 primary colours, 3 accent colours).
- You should limit yourself to using no more than three typefaces across all of your work.
Trends...they come and go!
Now, in that order, tell your audience what you do, who you do it for, and why they should visit your site. Brief and to the point.
Show potential customers who you are and why they should visit your website and use your services.
I’m sure you already know what’s going to happen next…
KEYWORDS!! KEYWORDS!! KEYWORDS!! KEYWORDS!! KEYWORDS!!
Make sure your About section is optimised! You must include the keywords that others may use to find the content, products, or services that you provide.
For a reason, keywords are the bread and butter of SEO. By incorporating strategic keywords, you instantly let people know who you are.
These keywords are also traffic generators, allowing customers to find you!
Include the URL to your blog or business website as well to direct more traffic to your site!!
Growing up I was aware of fashion and trends but to be quite honest I was way ahead of the curve for all of that jazz. So while my friends were waiting what to be told to wear by the fashion industry. I was blue sky thinking my way into the future. I designed my own clothes. I didn’t give a rip about what other people thought. I just knew what was right for me not for right now.
The same goes for your company’s brand identity, which is something I’d want to urge you to accomplish, too!
Because, despite the fact that following a design trend may increase traffic and followers now, (you only have to look at tick-tock to see how this can take effect), it will be a huge pain to rebrand or refresh your brand identity next year.
As a result, please take some time to thoroughly examine your company’s brand message and brand why.
You’ll be able to see if the brand identity you’re leaning toward has actual value for your objective or if you’re just jumping on the shirttails of the latest trend.
Consistency is the Key to a successful brand
Logo Type 2 : Your Alternate Logo
This idea is intertwined with a few others, but it bears emphasising again.
If you want a lasting brand identity, your audience must be able to recognize you from a mass with only a few glances.
Your audience will have the opportunity to do that if you remain consistent across all of your platforms and in all of your marketing.
As just a benefit, this is a great moment to audit what you’ve accomplished thus far.
Be sure you use the same logo and colours every time. Your fonts should be consistent across all platforms and marketing materials.
Is your company’s social media presence consistent with your website’s look and feel?
Your brand’s identity will be ingrained in the minds of your target audience far more quickly if everything is in sync. If your brand identity is all over the place, it will provide your firm an advantage in trust that could otherwise be questioned!
So, here's a quick summary of everything you need do to build a long-lasting brand identity:
- Tailor it to the needs of your target audience.
- Think how to keep it simple but meaningful
- Don’t follow the crowd.
- Consistency is key.
I’m convinced you’ll be able to develop a highly successful business if you follow through with all of the advice I’ve given you.
The question is, what are you going to do first, now that you know how to build a lasting brand identity?
