If you aren’t a Marketer or a professional designer, the concept of branding can seem vague and ambiguous. A common misconception is that branding is simply your logo and the colors you choose for your business— which it is, but it’s also so much more. Slapping your logo everywhere you can doesn’t equate to having a strong brand identity your audience will connect with (and therefore choose your business over your competitors). 

If you want to stand out from the crowd, increase your credibility with your audience, and look more professional, you need to have a strong brand. It’s non-negotiable. If you aren’t sure what that means or where to go next, here are five tips to help you create a stronger brand.

1. Hire a professional designer to create your brand kit.

I am all for the money-saving Marketing hacks, but this is one area you should not skimp out on! I’m sure your cousin’s husband’s niece knows her way around Canva and can probably make you a logo for free, but my guess would be she doesn’t know the importance of brand strategy when it comes to your colors, fonts, logos, and design elements.

For example, you shouldn’t necessarily choose your favorite colors for your brand kit— you need to understand the psychology behind those colors and what they communicate. Working with a professional designer or brand specialist can put you lightyears ahead of your competition, and your business will benefit from your investment for years to come.

2. Be consistent with your messaging.

If you aren’t consistent, you’ll kill your credibility and confuse potential clients and customers. Every customer touchpoint (online and in-person) should be consistent. What I mean by this is the elements of your brand kit should be consistent in your business, from the colors on your website to the fonts and logos on your employee’s t-shirts. If you’ve recently revamped your branding (ahem, see tip one), here are a few places you should make sure to update:

• Company/employee email signatures

• Social media platforms (profile pictures, content, messaging)

• Printed materials (letterhead, envelopes, flyers, etc.)

• Website

• Physical merchandise

• Packaging

3. Decide the tone and voice of your business and stick to it.

If you have a personal brand, you have the easy way out. Since your tone and voice are one and the same with your business, you don’t have to worry about this step. If you’re not a personal brand, you need to strategically decide what tone and voice you’d like your business to have— this is something I help my clients discover. Your tone and voice should match what your business does and what target audience you serve.

4. Establish a Marketing plan.

Creating a solid, actionable Marketing plan will help you with consistency, establish your brand identity, and allow you to strategically reach your audience. Have you ever heard the quote from Benjamin Franklin that says, “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail?” You need a plan to be successful, especially when it comes to Marketing your business.

5. Have a strong online presence.

Having a strong, consistent, and engaging online presence will do wonders for your brand awareness. To start, you should have a website (and a good one), and active social media accounts. If you’re ready to ramp things up a bit, you should also be utilizing SEO to bring in new leads. If you’re breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about this step, I have a ton of free resources on my website to help you improve your online presence.

Branding is a beast, and establishing a strong brand identity is no easy feat. However, it’s entirely worth it to have a strong brand, consistent messaging, and create a business appearance your audience will know and trust. If you need some help revamping your brand, creating a brand kit, and (my favorite) coming up with an effective Marketing plan, send me a note! I work on each of these things with my clients— and their businesses are growing because of their investment in strong-solid branding.