Where Do I Get Started With Branding My Business?
Ah, the elusive art of brand building. It’s the secret sauce that separates the Fortune 500 from the flop 500. But with great branding comes great responsibility – and an ever-evolving list of questions & concerns. Fear not, dear reader. In this FAQ-style blog post, we’ll be your branding sherpa, guiding you through the mountainous terrain of brand development with panache and savoir-faire. Whether you’re looking to launch your business to new heights or simply fine-tune your existing brand, we’ve got you covered. So buckle up, pour yourself something with bubbles, and let’s dive into the wild world of branding.
Article Index & Quick-links:
From here on out, we’ll be focusing on answering the seven most frequently asked questions we get from clients & even peers and offering some advice on how your brand can avoid problems & pitfalls along it’s path to success…
- How much does branding cost?
- How long does it take to develop a brand?
- Should I Rebrand My Business?
- Do I hire a marketing expert or a designer?
- Why isn’t my brand selling more online?
- Is there a template process for becoming a Fortune 500 brand?
- Where do I get started when building a brand?
How much does branding cost?
Although a brand can be a worthwhile investment, creating your first winning brand should not have to cost you $100K+, but if you start the process before conducting a proper branding workshop, it just might.
Branding costs can differ considerably based on the scale and complexity of the project. You might spend just a few thousand dollars for a basic logo and brand guidelines, or you could shell out hundreds of thousands, or even millions, for a top-to-bottom branding campaign that requires exhaustive research, strategy, and implementation. It’s critical to establish your budget and objectives from the get-go and partner with a trustworthy branding agency to get a dynamic and accurate estimate tailored to your specific needs.
How long does it take to develop a brand?
When you’re first getting started in the brainstorming phase of brand development, it’s a good idea to put yourself on a timeline. If you already know your industry… you’ll likely be able to get through the workshopping process in around two to four. If you’re just getting started in your industry, it’s even more important you take your time conceptualizing your brand. After drafting your brand ethos & consolidating some brand design inspiration, you’ll likely have less trouble justifying things like visual direction & logo design.
As effective branding comes down to great visual communication, we find it’s most effective to start the process by documenting the ideas you want to communicate clearly & effectively before actually drafting or designing.
Should I Rebrand My Business?
Keep in mind the brand-building process never really ends. Now more than ever, your target market is constantly changing/evolving. New consumer segments & social media platforms seem to bloom every day & which means ongoing research & brand development has become the standard for top-performing brands around the world.
That being said, we find workshopping your brand is typically more effective than rebranding entirely. The reason being… When you workshop your brand, you dig deeper into your brand’s core values, identity, and audience. This enables you to refine your messaging, visual identity, and overall brand strategy, resulting in a more cohesive and effective brand that resonates with your target audience. Plus, it’s usually more cost-effective and less disruptive to your business operations than a complete rebrand.
Do I hire a marketing expert or a designer?
Marketing experts & designer feedback are essential to the brand-building process. Branding experts (specifically when sorted by niche) can sometimes be difficult to find and usually are expensive to retain. That being said, they don’t always have a clear road map to get you from start to finish.
Here are a few things we believe you’ll find important when it comes to getting prepared for engaging with creatives. We’d suggest considering this information BEFORE you begin building your brand.
Working one-on-one with a graphic artist & web designer can be difficult. We find it that most negative experiences clients share with us from their past surround communication, typically surrounding their expectations being underserved.
This might be because creative agreements surrounding branding can sometimes lack clear guidelines. Creative work can, at times, be difficult to define perfectly within the terms & conditions of a branding contract. But what’s more is the fact that design terminology surrounding branding work, graphic arts & website design can be somewhat abstract.
When you hear things like, it’s “all part of the creative process,”… try to keep in mind ambiguity won’t often benefit your bottom line. When creative projects lack clarity surrounding deliverables & processes, they often exceed their scope of work. Increased budgets (sometimes referred to as budget bloat or scope creep) & you’re met with a decrease in your spending power.
Why isn’t my brand selling more online?
If you’ve gone through the process of building a quality website & you’re still wondering why your brand isn’t selling more online, it’s likely that your branding is falling short. It’s not enough to just offer a great product or service – you need to create a brand identity that speaks directly to your target audience and makes them feel seen and understood.
Creating a successful online brand presence requires more than just setting up a website and waiting for the sales to roll in. Making sales online begins with creating great branding that effectively tells your story and connects with your target audience.
To solve this problem, simply… Know your customers, know their pain points, and position your brand accordingly.
Is there a template process for becoming a Fortune 500 brand?
While there’s no silver bullet for achieving Fortune 500 status, there are some common characteristics that many of these brands share. From a well-honed brand identity to a focus on innovation, customer-centricity, marketing mastery, and a strong corporate culture – these are the hallmarks of a truly exceptional brand.
We believe the best way to improve your chances of building a successful brand comes down to your and your creative team’s ability to understand & implement a time-tested process built around previous brand success. A branding workshop (like this one) can be an invaluable tool for developing a Fortune 500 brand by fostering alignment, clarity, innovation, and engagement across the organization. By investing in this collaborative process, businesses can lay the foundation for a strong and successful brand that resonates with customers and stands the test of time.
Where do I get started when building a brand?
When it comes to building your brand your way, there are a few key steps you can take to get started:
- Try to better-define your brand.
- Identify your audience.
- Conduct some market research.
- Develop a brand strategy.
- Create a cohesive visual identity.
- Develop strong messaging.
Once you’ve done all that, it’s time to start building your brand through social posting, advertising, social media, content marketing, and other channels.
Admittedly, it can be an overwhelming process, but fear not – we have a solution that should make it easy and fun. Check out The Brand Launch Kit, our online course & virtual workshop. It’s your all-in-one guide to building a brand that resonates with your target audience and drives business success.
With the Brand Launch Kit, you’ll have access to an easy-to-follow framework that will help you identify your brand’s values, personality, tone of voice, and visual identity. We’ll help you craft a brand that reflects who you are and what you stand for. We’ll guide you through understanding your target audience and conducting market research, so you can tailor your messaging and branding to connect with the right people. We’ll show you how to develop a brand strategy, create a visual identity, and craft your brand messaging in a way that resonates with your audience.
Once your brand is defined, we’ll be happy to help you launch it into the world but no pressure! When you’re finished, The Brand Launch Kit will export the work deck & guidelines you create into a simple google slides document. This way, you can take your newfound direction and work with the designers you choose quickly and effectively.
With our step-by-step guide to building your brand through advertising, social media, content marketing, and other channels, you’ll be ready to make a big splash and start seeing results.
So, if you’re ready to take your brand to the next level, the Brand Launch Kit is the solution you’ve been looking for. With our expert guidance and easy-to-use tools, you’ll be on your way to building a brand that truly stands out. Register today and get ready to launch your brand into the stratosphere!”