When you are trying to make a good impression on your customers, the first thing that comes to them is your brand. It creates an impression of how the company works and how it values customers. Although it only takes a second for people to see your brand, it is one of the most valuable seconds for making a lasting impact on their minds. Your brand has the ability to create or destroy customers’ trust in you. Most people will not take time to read your company history or see how innovative you are if your brand has no character.
Consider Apple or Starbucks. When you think about these companies, one thing comes to mind: their brands. You know what they stand for, how you feel when you enter their establishment, and what it means to be an owner of one of their products. Your brand should represent who you are and how you want your customers to see your business. If your business is innovative, fresh, and honest, then let it show in your brand.
A great brand makes a win-win situation for both the consumer and the company. The consumer is able to relate to your brand and feel confident in it, while you are able to create a bond with them and get the word out about your business. If you have your own business, you want it to be time-tested with a lot of money at stake because you will always want to have a recognizable brand that people know by heart. A creative logo is often one of the best features of an attractive brand. So, how do you make your brand memorable? We will highlight a few things that you can do!
Tip One: Create a logo for your brand.
It’s hard to compete in the business world or even in social media outlets today if you don’t have a logo. A logo is one of the most important things you can do for your brand. When people see your logo, they know instantly what your business is about. This is a great thing since so many people have different things going on in their heads when it comes to certain businesses. The point being, there is already someone out there with a preconceived idea about what you are offering. To them, your logo helps them remember that idea and decide if it is something they want to pursue or not.
The first thing to do is to determine what your logo style will be. You can brand your business with an idea, a concept, or an image. The best way to begin is to decide what you are trying to project. Logos can be categorized in a wide variety of ways. Some examples are abstract, letter-based, picture-based, and symbol-based. An abstract logo is something that looks to represent an idea either in a literal or metaphorical way. Letters are used to spell out the name of a business or individual in a logo, but there are other ways to use letters to create the logo such as with initials or monograms. You want to really think this through
Tip Two: Take advantage of social media.
Social media — it’s a must for a large part of our population. We have become "friends" with hundreds, if not thousands of people that we would probably have never met in real life if it wasn’t for social media. For our business owners, this is good news. That's because social media officially has passed up the traditional advertisement as the number one way to build brand awareness and drive sales for your business. That's right, people are talking about your brand through their friends more than they are listening to your professional radio, newspaper, or television adverts!
The internet has given the general public the opportunity to easily reach out to many individuals with social media platforms. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram are the four major players, but there are several services and social media sites that have also been created since their release. Ask anyone what they think about these social media platforms and they will instantly share how useful they find them. Some businesses have even gone as far as to meet all their customers through these outlets. It also allows you to give your customers a taste of what is to come, as well as grow your business—both organically and effectively.
Tip Three: Make sure that you have a customized email signature.
Your email is a glorious place of opportunity. A lot of businesses overlook the potential their email has to improve their overall online marketing game. And just like you wouldn’t want your company to overlook that shiny new business idea you had on the tip of your tongue, you shouldn’t be overlooking the power your emails have for reaching new customers and growing your business. The fast-moving nature of business means that it is easy to neglect a simple thing like the branding of an email. When you take a moment to think about how many emails you receive and send out per day, it is possible that you could be neglecting the branding elements of your own marketing emails.
Email branding is something that doesn’t often get the attention it deserves. There are also a lot of misconceptions about it. And, if you do email branding correctly, you can bring a lot more customers to your business. Consider this: every time you press “reply” or “send” your email signature becomes an extension of your brand. It’s that little snippet in your inbox that goes a long way in creating an impression. And most likely, it is something that will be seen by everyone you do business with. That means it needs to reflect the brand and values you want associated with your name. This is why it is really important to make sure you have a professional email signature that will be easily recognized as brand-related at first glance.