It is common to use the terms “brand” or “business interchangeably. Although the dictionary definitions may be similar, I do not believe this is fair.

Anybody can start a business. Building a brand is more than just filing paperwork for an LLC and opening a checking account. A brand is not just a logo or slogan. It is how people feel when you name them or see your logo.

The most powerful marketing tool is branding. Establishing your brand can make the difference between success and failure for individuals and businesses.

This guide will help you create a brand that is both successful and will last, no matter if you are launching a new business or updating an existing one.

What is a Brand Identity?

Your company’s brand identity is your reputation. It is not what you tell others about yourself, it’s what other people say about you.

A business’ brand identity does not include one aspect. It encompasses many factors such as company values and communication style, product offerings, logos, and color palettes, as well as company values. These elements are what help to protect your brand’s image to the world. These elements ultimately become your brand identity.

Here’s an example of brand identity–McDonald’s.

McDonald’s is all about the golden arches. It’s more than just that. What are you thinking of when you hear that name or see the logo? You might think of Ronald McDonald. Some people imagine the smell and taste of Big Macs and fries.

McDonald’s is a worldwide brand, regardless of your opinion. This company is the definition of fast food.

Why not invest in building a brand?

Your brand is the face of your company. You can’t be seen as a leader in your industry without a face. To stand out in crowds, companies need a brand.

Branding establishes trust and credibility between consumers and businesses. It is what makes people want to buy from your business in the first place and keeps them coming back for more.

Pricing strategy can be affected by your brand. Brands they trust are more popular than brands they don’t. Starbucks is a great example.

Why do people pay so much for a cup of coffee? Branding.

No matter if you’re in Los Angeles or New York, Paris or Rome, you will know exactly what you get when you go to a Starbucks. Although you can get a larger cup of coffee at a smaller gas station or local doughnut shop for less, they don’t have the same branding power and reach as Starbucks.

Take a look at the Starbucks mission statement as shown in the image. “To incite and nurture the human spirit – one person at a time, one cup, and one community.”

Starbucks isn’t selling coffee, they’re selling a feeling – a brand.

Gucci sells tee-shirts starting at $500 Apple phones are available for purchase at $1,000 Nike offers sneakers at $250

Why is that shirt more valuable than a $5 shirt? What makes an iPhone so valuable? Is it worth $100 more than a $100 smartphone? Nikes are worth five times as much as a pair of generic sneakers?

It is important to invest time and effort in building a brand.

10 Steps to Building Your Brand

Once you have a basic understanding of brand identity and how important it is to establish a brand, it is time to start building one. This is not something you can do in a matter of hours. This complex idea has been simplified into a simple ten-step process.

Step 1: Identify the purpose of your brand

What are your reasons for being in business?

While I can understand your desire to make a profit, it is not the right type of purpose to establish a brand identity. This should go beyond your products and services.

Let’s take, for example, the case where your company sells pre-made meals online. What is the purpose of your brand? It isn’t selling food, it’s providing convenience and nutrition to busy professionals who don’t have the time or energy to cook.

After you have delved deep into your brand’s purpose, it is possible to put that purpose in a well-written mission declaration.

The most important aspect of a mission statement’s “why” is the “why”. This is the most crucial piece of information for the customer. This is what makes your company stand out from all others doing the same thing.

Your brand will be defined by your purpose. Your purpose will define your brand and set the tone for your employees and your company. It will also become what customers expect from you when they purchase from your business.

Step 2: Identify your brand’s target audience

Who would want to buy what your company is selling?

The most important aspect of branding is identifying your target audience. This step is crucial to your brand-building strategy.

Your business may not be for everyone. Don’t try and make it appealing to everyone. Consider some of the brands that we’ve discussed in this guide: McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Nike. Each brand appeals to a specific market.

Don’t forget branding is an important part of marketing. Your branding strategy should be treated as any other marketing campaign.

What if you didn’t have a target audience for a TV commercial or Facebook ad? Not.

You’ll gain a better understanding of your target audience as we move through the remaining steps.

Step 3: Create a Unique Voice For Your Brand

After identifying your target market, it is time to create a brand voice that appeals to them. This can be done in many different ways.

Are you looking to look professional? Are you trying to be funny with your brand voice? Do you try to be casual?

Your brand’s copy must be consistent across all channels. Your voice should resonate with your target audience, from your homepage to blogs, Social Media posts, ads, and even your homepage.

The voice is informal. They use “yeah,” instead of “yes,” and other phrases such as “sweet wheels” or “dude.”

This brand voice is evident throughout the FAQ page. Here are some more examples.

It’s a casual and funny way of saying that dogs are permitted at the hotel but that no other pets are allowed.

The brand doesn’t try to appeal to everyone. ARRIVE, a trendy boutique hotel in Palm Springs, California is geared toward young adults looking for a cool place to stay. They don’t target grandparents or families.

A law firm will have a different brand voice than a business selling surfboards. B2B companies that sell enterprise SaaS should not have the same brand voice as a retailer selling clothing to teenage girls.

Step 4: Tell your brand’s story

The brand story includes all three of the steps that we have discussed. Your brand story is the extended version of your mission statement’s “Why”.

Your brand voice should convey your reasons for being in business.

TOMS sells shoes. This is not the brand’s purpose. These are just a few of the important parts of the brand story that highlight the company’s purpose.

The brand donates shoes to people in need. One-third of the company’s profits are donated to charities around the world.

This was what inspired it. When he was on a trip around the world, he witnessed the hardships that children living without shoes faced. He was inspired to start a company that provides shoes for underprivileged children.

This brand story has a tone that is appropriate for its purpose. It is heartwarming and intended to appeal to people who are motivated to help others.

TOMS doesn’t want to compete with sneaker brands like Nike and Adidas. Instead, their charitable approach places them in a different category. The brand’s story clearly explains all of this.

Step 5: Design your brand’s visual elements

Now, it’s time for you to create visual representations of your brand. What will your customers see when they first come across your company?

This includes things such as your logo, color palette, and typography. These are the basic elements of designing a brand.

You can think of the Starbucks siren or the McDonald’s golden arches. Seeing those logos will instantly make you understand what they represent. A simple thing as the font used for your company name in the logo can tell a lot about the brand identity.

It is a powerful image with a stigma attached. The logo isn’t warm or inviting. Golden Skull Tattoo is more intimidating than inviting.

The logo design is the same as those for motorcycle clubs: the club name at the top, in a half circle, and the city at the bottom. This is a good choice considering the target audience for this brand.

The logo is a different image than the tattoo parlor. It is safe, childlike, playful, and friendly. Its font alone makes it feel like a company you can trust to care for your pet.

People might be skeptical if the logo for dog walking was darkened and featured a skull (just like the tattoo shop).

These two opposite examples show that the visual elements of your branding strategy have a significant impact on how your brand is perceived.

Step 6: Establish Your Brand Differentiation

What is it that makes your brand stand out in your industry? To find out what your competitors are doing, you need to spend some time researching them.

You can monitor your competitors to find out which branding strategies work well and which ones don’t.

Do not follow the same branding strategy as other businesses operating in a saturated market. It will be difficult for new businesses to succeed if existing businesses have successfully branded themselves. The existing brand will be trusted by consumers.

Take a look at the examples that I used throughout this guide. It would be impossible to duplicate McDonald’s branding if you were to start a fast-food business. You would need to look for a different niche or approach.

Better Buzz Coffee is a local coffee shop that you may have seen or heard about if you’ve been to San Diego. Better Buzz Coffee has more than a dozen locations in the county and is still growing.

Better Buzz doesn’t want to be like Starbucks. They create unique experiences and environments at each coffee shop, rather than having identical locations.

You wouldn’t be able to tell that each location has a common name or menu. Each location has its atmosphere, colors, and fonts.

This branding strategy allows the business to thrive in a competitive market with other coffee shops and international chains such as Starbucks.

Step 7: Create your brand

Once you have established the elements of your branding strategy it is time to make that strategy available to the public. 

Your website should be designed. Make social media profiles. As many marketing channels as you can, establish your presence.

Although it may be tempting to skip this step, it is important to keep following the steps I have described. Once your brand voice is established, you can’t create a website copy. Once you have designed your logo and other visual elements, it will be difficult to choose a color scheme that works. Without establishing the purpose and story of your brand, you can’t create an “about us” page.

You’re likely to have heard the old proverb “Don’t put the horse before the cart”

Your entire branding strategy could be affected if you do not complete each step in the correct order. If you follow the sequence I have described, you will see your brand grow.

Step 8: Promote your Brand

After your brand is established, it’s time for you to promote it.

Each business will have its marketing campaign. It all depends on the type of brand that you are creating. The promotional strategy for a local dry cleaner will be different from that of a national ecommerce company.

No matter how you run promotions (email marketing, PPC campaigns, or radio ads), it doesn’t matter what method. Every promotional method must reflect your branding strategy.

Higher profits are possible by presenting brand consistency across all channels.

What is your brand voice like? This voice should be consistent on everything, from billboards and digital ads to all other mediums.

Step 9: Get others to advocate for your brand

Branding is like wildfire. Marketing strategies should be designed to encourage existing customers and employees to become brand advocates.

Encourage customers to leave reviews. To encourage referrals, run promotions. Establish a loyalty program for customers. Work with influencers to bring your brand to life.

Here’s an example. Nike does not ask Fortune 500 CEOs to become brand ambassadors. This is not a good idea for their product line. Nike sponsors athletes instead.

Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder) was once famously quoted as saying that “Your brand is the things other people say about your character when you’re not there.”

It’s easier to build your reputation by getting others to promote your brand. Be aware that not every brand has a positive reputation. It’s important to follow these steps.

Step 10: Change as Your Brand Grows

You must be ready to change and adapt to the times. Your branding strategy might not work tomorrow. Market trends and market needs change brands; even company mistakes can force you to rebrand.

Famously, some of the most well-known brands have rebranded for many reasons.

Burberry, a high-end fashion brand, has a reputation as being popular with gang members. Burberry clothing was even prohibited from being worn by some pubs in the UK. As part of a rebranding process, the company partnered up with Emma Watson and Kate Moss to improve its image.

Nike has never sold basketball shoes until Michael Jordan signed them. They are the largest seller of basketball shoes worldwide today.

McDonald’s was known for making people fat and unhealthy. McDonald’s now offers many healthy options, such as fruit smoothies and salads.

Old Spice was unable to attract younger customers. Old Spice was once regarded as a “deodorant for the elderly.” However, clever branding and new marketing strategies along with the introduction of new products such as body wash changed public perceptions.

Your brand will not survive the test of time if it doesn’t adapt.

Last Thoughts

Your business won’t be able to stand out if it doesn’t have branding. You won’t be noticed by the people, so survival will be difficult.

However, a brand identity can make a huge difference for a company.

You can increase your profits, build trust with customers and keep them coming back for more. Your brand is your reputation. You need to make the right decisions to create a brand.