Brand building is a critical part of starting a business. A great business idea or innovative product means nothing if you can’t communicate it to the world—specifically in a way that your target audience can relate to.
How customers, competitors, and the market perceive your brand image comes down to brand positioning and aesthetic choices, but your brand identity is more than a logo. It encompasses everything from your brand personality to mission statement to the consistent color palette you use across channels.
In this guide, learn how to build your own brand from scratch and create a compelling and memorable brand identity that resonates with your target audience. Plus, explore what it takes to create a brand logo or catchy slogan, with real examples from successful brands and branding design tips from experts.
What is a brand?
A brand defines a business, product, service, person, or concept in the market. It differentiates your business from others in the same industry and has a set of rules (called brand guidelines) that dictate how that business will be marketed and presented. Branding is the process of establishing a brand—how it looks, what it sounds like, and the defined target audience it hopes to reach.
What are the building blocks of a brand?
Brand is more than a logo, slogan, or color palette. To build a successful brand, there’s plenty of groundwork you need to do before you can start designing a website or creating marketing materials.
Here are the building blocks to include in your brand guidelines document:
Target audience: Defining your target audience is one of the most important stages of creating a brand from scratch. Everything stems from this. Defining your audience in detail helps you build a brand that speaks directly to it.
Brand identity: Your brand identity encompasses your business name and the visual elements that define your brand, from your logo and colors to the aesthetic of your photography and your social media handles. Brand identity also includes your brand’s story and competitive advantage.
Brand voice: Brand voice is how your brand sounds. Defining this ensures brand consistency across every customer touchpoint.
Mission and values: Your brand’s mission is the North Star for your business. It establishes both a goal for your company and a promise to your customers. Your values are what your brand stands for.
Style guide: Your brand style guide is one part of your larger brand guidelines. It spells out exactly how your brand will surface on every platform or channel.
Establishing brand guidelines
Brand guidelines are the bible for your brand. This document or set of documents will take a position on every aspect of your brand and how it shows up in various places. Every decision you make during the brand building process will be captured here.
A well-executed set of brand guidelines will achieve the following:
- Keep staff, freelancers, retail partners, and agencies on the same page
- Aid in staff hiring and training
- Ensure your branding is consistent across all touchpoints
- Be a go-to resource for crisis communications
- Be a flexible document that grows with your brand
How to build a brand in 7 steps
- Research your target market
- Determine your brand’s voice and personality
- Choose your business name
- Write your brand story
- Create a brand style guide
- Design your logo and brand assets
- Apply your branding across your business
As a small business owner, taking the time to establish your brand image is critical, especially if you’re entering a crowded market. And creating a solid foundation for your brand identity can help you build brand awareness over time.
While you might revisit some steps as you pivot or create your brand, it’s important you consider each aspect as you shape your brand identity. Bookmark this guide as a handy resource to access throughout your brand building journey.
1. Research your target market
The first step to building a successful brand is understanding the current market: Who are your potential customers and competitors? Every solid brand strategy and business plan is based on this very question.
You can’t create a brand logo unless you know your audience’s preferences. And developing a unique brand personality can only happen once you know the competitive landscape.
During your research, note the biggest brands in the market. What are they doing right? What do you offer that they don’t? This is called your unique selling proposition (USP).
2. Determine your brand’s voice and personality
Branding isn’t about trying to be everything to everyone. A strong POV will speak to the audience you care about most. It will tell this group that yours brand is for them. To develop this POV and a distinct brand voice, there are several exercises you can complete.
3. Choose your business name
Your company’s name is probably one of the first big commitments you’ll make as a business owner. Ideally, you want a brand name that isn’t being used by another company (especially in your industry), has available social media handles, and is a fit based on your brand or products.
4. Write your brand story
Your brand story is the autobiography of your business and sometimes your own story as a founder. It’s a useful tool for branding because it humanizes your business to create meaningful connections with customers.
5. Create a brand style guide
Now comes the fun part. Your style guide will include all the visual decisions you make for your brand. This guide will come in handy when you build your website, design your social media profile pages, and create product packaging.
6. Design your logo and brand assets
While a logo design is one of the first things you might think of when building a brand, it should happen later in the process. Your logo should be unique, identifiable, and scalable so it works at all sizes.
7. Apply your branding across your business
Applying your branding across your business gives it a cohesive brand story. No matter where customers encounter your brand—through a TikTok ad, in a retail store, or in their inbox—the experience should be familiar and recognizable.
Building a brand doesn’t stop after you design a logo. It is a continuous process of cementing your brand identity in the minds of your customers. Building a successful brand involves being consistent in your messaging and deliberate with your brand marketing.
Now that you understand how to build a brand from scratch, you’ll continue brand building for the entire life of your business. Remember that if you rebrand, loyal customers should still be able to recognize your brand and receive the same experience. Looping in their feedback will help you grow your brand alongside the people who matter most.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ecommerce-d7e19a12ebed400eb1b2344b2cbb0e7d.png?ssl=1 "Understanding E-commerce: Different Types, Historical Background, and Illustrative Examples")
