Turning a small startup into a credible brand in this cut-throat world is not everyone’s cup of tea. But it is not impossible to make one. You need to be both innovative and creative at the same time. Many questions start buzzing into your head when you plan to make a brand from scratch. A website and custom logo design are not enough to make a brand. There is a whole branding process that you need to go through to meet your business goals. Considering this, we have gathered some essential steps that every entrepreneur should follow before starting a business.
Be Clear About Your Target Audience, Rivals
First things first, demonstrate thorough research on the current market to find out who your potential buyers and rivals are. Now you might be thinking that how to do this. The best practices to understand your audience and competitors include:
- Google what you are planning to sell and thoroughly analyze the top links shown by the search engine.
- Monitor Quora and Reddit regarding your product or service and keep an eye on your target audience’s conversation to find out which companies’ products they use and recommend.
- Keep in touch with people associated with your target market and find out which brands they prefer.
- Monitor your target audience’s online activities to find out on which social media platform they spend most of their time or which posts and pages they respond to.
- Make online and offline purchases from your competitors to get an idea of how your target audience browse and make purchases.
If you follow this process, you will surely get things clear about your target audience and top competitors.
Set Your Target
Before launching a startup, it’s essential to be clear about your focus, like what exactly you want to do. Once you get the answer, stick to it and expand your business gradually. Follow these three branding exercises to find out the tone and target of your business:
Write a statement that defines your business – There is no denying that a seamless website and custom logo design is the face and identity of your brand, but how will you able to design perfectly without being clear about what you are doing? So, it’s essential to write a short statement, that supports your claim in the market and helps you create a catchy tagline for your brand.
Pick words that describe your brand – To build a powerful brand, it’s important to imagine your brand as a single product or any person. Select three to five words that describe the type of your business. This exercise will help you build your brand’s personality.
Select metaphors that match with your brand – To identify the qualities of your brand, make a picture of your brand in the mind as a metaphor or a person. It can be anything (eminent personality, sports team, car, etc.) that has a reputable position in your mind.
Give Your Startup A Name
You can’t create a unique and creative custom logo design without giving your business a name. When you start a business from scratch, it’s essential to be very picky while giving it a name, as once you locked the name, you have to go ahead with it in the future. You can tweak the logo but can’t make changes to the name. However, only a name doesn’t define the brand. Any name can become a brand if there are powerful plans and innovative ideas. We can take the example of Apple – the leading brand in the world.
Write A Catchy Slogan
What comes into mind your mind whenever you hear ‘I’m Lovin’ It’? Of course, it’s McDonald’s. Once you get done with a name, start writing a slogan for your brand. It should be concise and creative. A slogan is your company’s tagline that is used everywhere, including under the custom logo design, custom business cards, custom banners, website header, social media accounts, and anywhere else you want to market your business. A tagline is a few powerful words that can make your brand memorable. All you need to learn is how to play with words.
Set The Theme Of Your Brand
Before building a website and custom logo design, it’s imperative to select a color theme and font style. Colors and fonts define your brand’s looks. You can come up with unique colors that make you different from your competitors. Besides, being unique will also help your customers to get a clear picture of your brand.
It’s Time To Create A Logo
When you talk about the brand, the first thing that comes to mind is the logo. For instance, when you say Nike, the first thing that appears in mind is the iconic ‘Tick.’ Undoubtedly, a logo is the company’s face and the first impression of your brand to the customers. However, the ideal logo should be unique and easily recognizable. You should meet with professionals to get the outstanding custom logo design.
