Branding, the step-by-step guide to start

When we talk about branding, I like to think of Kodak, Coca Cola and Amazon; brands that are not  only selling a product or service but an experience. Those brands have been creating a connection with their audience for decades.  And that’s exactly what we all want to achieve with ours. 

Branding is much more than color and a logo. Yes, your logo is the first impression and a very essential part, but branding is the soul of your business. Your brand is who you are! It’s a combination of the visual aspects and the message that gets your clients attention, and will, eventually, turn them into loyal followers. 

Creating a brand experience may make you feel overwhelmed and lost. I get it, it’s not easy. Especially if you don’t really know where to start. 

You’re not alone.

Building a brand that is memorable and stands up, takes time. However, there are a few elements that will help you to get started and communicate the right message!

 

Brand foundations

The values

The very first step is to identify your values. They reflect who and what you stand for and will help you make the right decisions in order to achieve your goals. 

 

The vision and the mission.

Understand the vision and the mission behind your brand. 

Your vision is about the future (what you want to achieve) and your mission is about the present (what you do). Think of this as describing yourself: who you are and where you’re going.  

To help you with your mission and vision statement, you can answer these questions: 

Why did you start? 

What do you do best and what makes you different?

What are your goals?

Niche

A niche market is the focused group of people that you market to. This group is defined by its unique needs, locations, interests, or identity which is what differentiates it. 

Defining and understanding your niche or target audience will help you identify who the people are that most likely get your product or service and you can start planning your marketing strategy accordingly.

Who do you want to sell to or work with? Who do you want to help? 

How old is your customer?

Where do they live?

What are their professions, hobbies, and/or interests?

Are they single?

Do they have children?

What’s their income?

Dig as much as you can and don’t forget to check out the competition. 

Ask yourself: What are three words that describe your target audience?

One last important thing: be aware of change, track your audience over time. People grow, interest changes; make sure you keep up to date to ensure that you are speaking directly to your audience. You’ll have a greater chance of attracting new business. 

 

Voice and Tone

This refers to the personality that your brand takes and it will help you stand out. It’ll provide you with presence. 

What you say and how you say it.

You want to create an experience in a unique way. 

Establish if you want to use a silly and playful tone or a more corporate and reserved one so that you can create consistency across your brand. 

Document everything! Start by writing down your core values and mission statement. Include common vocabulary, phrases, and examples.

Identify the different tones you want to communicate with, such as casual and conversational on social media, but more formal, authoritative, and clear to the media. 

Determine what’s working well and modify what’s not. Create a do’s and don’ts list. 

Lastly, adapt! Same as niche, time passes, people change, language evolves and more competitors come into your market, so make sure you revisit your voice and tone over time so that you can refresh it as needed.

 

Brand Identity

This is one of the best parts, if not the best. 

It’s also that part where you’ll be establishing the cohesive look across every piece of your brand so that your customers can easily identify it. 

Here’s how I like to break it down:

 Color palette 

I won’t lie to you. This is not an easy task and it’s even harder to use them appropriately.

Your brand colors should represent your brand, but not necessarily be your favorite colors. They need to move your audience and build a connection between your audience and your brand.

Colors are associated with actions and emotions; whether you are designing a website, a social media graphic, or a presentation, you need to ensure consistency. 

Colors are powerful!

Categorize them into primary (usually 2 or 3 that you’ll use most often) and secondary (that you can adjust according to your needs)

Your color palette should have 5-6 colors with its shades and you should create guidelines for them. This way you’ll ensure a similarity within your graphics. 

 

Typography

Choosing the right typeface is very similar to the color palette, there’s also a physiology behind them. They play a huge role in your brand identity.

Here are the five types of fonts: 

    Serif, commonly used in novels and newspapers.

    Sans Serif, mostly used for websites and other digital platforms because they’re easy to read.

    Slab Serif, best used for logos, titles and billboard ads.

    Display. As Script, they are mostly used for titles and logos. 

DO NOT USE COMIC SANS!

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, but DO NOT USE COMIC SANS. And try to stay away from generic fonts. There is a world out there that is full of great and magnificent fonts. 

Pair your fonts by creating contrast through sizes and styles, however, keep it limited. Don’t use too many. Choose 2 or 3 fonts, that communicate effectively, how your brand is and stick with them, be consistent and avoid distraction. 

Just make sure they work well together.

 

Logo

I mentioned before that the logo is not everything, but it’s very important; it identifies your business. It’s also one of the most difficult tasks because the logo is the face of your brand, the first visual element that your customers see therefore, it needs to stand out. 

A perfect logo should be:

    Simple, to increase recognition. Use a legible font and make it fully-customized, that way it’ll be easier to implement throughout every platform.

    Unique, but timeless. Use a unique element or color that makes it memorable, but make sure it’s not too trendy so it won’t become outdated quickly.

    Relevant to your brand and audience. It should represent who you are.

Bring your vision to life with a professional that helps you stand out. This is why we, designers, are here for. 

Trust me, even if you’re on a budget,  it’s worth the investment.

 

Once you have selected your color palette and typography and design your logo, you may want to start designing the tactical material of your brand to promote your business (business cards, stationery, etc.)

 

Photos and graphic elements

The photos and the graphic elements that you choose and share reflect how professional you are, or they can make you look inexperienced. They will help you define the tone for your brand. 

Start by taking good quality photos, hire a photographer, or purchase a photo subscription. 

This does not need to be expensive, but you need to ensure consistency within your brand. 

 

Website

This is your “business’ business card”. It’s where people go to know about you and your services. Therefore, it’s crucial to make it look professional. 

I would highly recommend hiring an expert. However, there are many website templates that you can use if you decide to build your own website.

Stick to the color palette you choose and don’t forget to be consistent. 

 

Social Media

I said it before, consistency is a keyword while creating any aspect of your brand and social media is not exempt from this. Once you have your brand identity established, it’s time to create an online presence. 

You don’t need to be on every platform, you can select what suits your business and niche, best. 

Create the accounts within the different platforms with the same handle name, if not a similar one; and use the same avatar and banner, so that it’s easier for viewers to recognize you. Be yourself, be unique, and don’t forget to be consistent. 

Take your brand’s mission seriously, make sure that whatever you are posting, or writing is transmitting the right message to your audience and connect with them.

 

Now you just need to be patient. Branding is like a flower, it takes time to bloom; so take yours. There’s a lot implied in building your brand so you need to take one step at a time. Don’t make multiple chances too often, if there’s a mistake plan on making corrections.

 

I hope this helps you get started with your brand and if you have any comments, feel free to leave them below. I’d love to hear about your experience!