How important is your brand?
Monday’s Promotion Tip for Successful Graphic Designers
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines branding as “the act of giving a company a particular design or symbol in order to advertise its products and services.” Simple, but most don’t do it.
We all know that a good brand communicates volumes about who you are and your business. It provides a sense of trust and goes a long way in establishing your competence and professionalism.
It’s especially important as a start-up. You don’t have a reputation built up and the credibility that comes from years of experience. Some people may be put off by that, and thus, less likely to invest. It’s a tougher sell, in other words. But a good brand comes along way in alleviating fears.
There’s an old saying in restaurant marketing “You sell the sizzle, not the steak.” Now obviously, the steak has to be good or else, in the end, it won’t matter. But initially it’s the sizzle that determines whether I’m going to order it or not. So, the quality of the steak is only important once I’ve ordered it. Because if the steak is not good, I’ll return it or never order it again.
Your first steps in creating your brand:
- Consider who is your key audience (you may have a few target audiences, but who is your key?)
- What message do you want to convey to them?
- How can you back the message up?
- How can you represent the message design-wise?
- Implement the design throughout all your marketing and promotional materials.
- Keep it simple! Make it easy on your target audience by only using 1 design throughout. Don’t have 10 variations of your logo! It confuses your audience and makes you look unorganized and unprofessional.
T A K E A W A Y S :
Be proactive rather than reactive in your branding.
Don’t just dive in and just wait and see if something sticks! Think of who you want as perfect clients and doing whatever it takes to clearly communicate to them. Really think it through.
You are trying to convey a feeling of what it will be like for prospects to deal with you and your company. What they can expect from you. Make it good!
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