If
you’re starting up a new business, figuring out how to build your brand from
scratch can be really challenging. It can be so challenging in fact, many
people have excellent ideas but find themselves almost paralyzed in this stage.
You may have so many ideas floating around and want to ensure everything is
‘perfect’ before moving forward, that you often get stuck here. If you want
some tips for how to build your brand from scratch so you actually get started,
keep reading!
1. Get a Great Name
One
of the most important decisions you’ll make for your business is your business’
name. You want something that’s memorable and catchy, but that also makes sense
based on the product or service you’re offering. If you’re not sure of where to
start to find a great name, why not use a business name generator. You simply input a small
amount of information, such as what industry your brand is in and any specific
words you’d like to include, and it offers you numerous suggestions. One of the
reasons I really like this tool is because it allows you to see if the matching
domain name is available, which is extremely important if you’re planning to
have a website for your brand – which in this day and age is essential! You’re
going to want to spend a little bit of time on this step to get a name that
allows your brand to thrive.
2. Don’t Forget About Social Media
Almost
every business out there would benefit from social media. It serves as a
platform for your clients to engage with your brand, to learn more about what
offers and promotions you have available, and as a way to find new clients.
Social media is fast becoming one of the best ways to advertise products and
services as you can choose campaigns that allow you to target very specific
audiences. You’re also able to quickly see results and make tweaks to campaigns
to ensure you’re getting the best results possible. There are so many benefits to
social media that you’re definitely going to want to get on board. When you’re
selecting your new business name, I suggest checking the social media handles
you might want to use to see if they’re available. Handles that are as simple
as possible and as close to your brand’s name will work best.
3. Be Clear About Your Audience
Who
will buy your products or services? This question is almost as important as
your business’ name. Nothing stops a brand from succeeding quite like failing
to have a clear vision of who the ideal target audience are. Without figuring
this out, you can’t really create products or services that solve problems for
them. If you don’t know who is going to be interested in your products, then
you also don’t know who to advertise to. Spend a few days making a clear vision
of who your target audience will be, what other similar products and services
they are interested in, and what problems you can solve for them. Focusing on
your clients and working backwards is a great way to help ensure you have a
brand that’s in demand.
4. Invest in Good Branding
It
can be hard to part with money before you’ve made a cent, but your branding is
something you absolutely don’t want to try to do yourself, unless of course you
have design experience. Properly designed logos
and website branding will ensure that your product comes across as professional
and desirable. Having low quality branding can make your brand seem less
legitimate, turning customers away. While it can be hard investing before
you’ve got a profitable business, this is one of the most important steps to
building your brand. A professional designer will work with you, generally
asking you a bunch of questions, to provide you with a logo that will help you
sell and appeal most to your target audience.
5. Set a Time Limit
It’s
fine to spend a few weeks or months working on the foundation of your brand. I
actually think it’s worth taking a bit of time to make sure you’re really happy
with everything before moving forward. It can be hard to change your branding
and name once you already have an established brand. Although it’s certainly
not impossible, starting afresh is a big process that can often be very
expensive, so it’s better to try to get it right from the beginning. On the
flip side, you don’t want to spend so long planning your brand that you get
burned out or bored, and don’t actually move forward. From the beginning I
suggest setting a time limit of how long you’ll be in the planning stage before
getting started. The length of time you choose will depend on your own
schedule, what kind of brand you’re looking to launch and so many other
factors. Whether you choose two weeks or two months as your deadline, circle a
date on your calendar and have that be the end of the planning stage.
Building
a brand from scratch is a very exciting process that can often be overwhelming.
Hopefully these tips help you get started on the right foot, so you can get
started!
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