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BRANDING - HOW IT CAN CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS

Branding - the process by which both a brand and brand identity are developed.

A brand is defined as a name, symbol or design, or a combination of these whose purpose is to identify or signify the goods and services of a particular seller(s) which is supposed to differentiate you from your competitors. Think about McDonalds, Coca Cola, Microsoft, IBM...

Branding is all about identity and it works on two levels. It must be functional and emotional. People need to recognize and recall your brand. It has to have personality and presence. People should know "who you are".

You must apply successful branding to your business. It can take you to the next level.

These are the basic steps to creating a brand.

1. Research your competition and the market.
2. Strategize. Define the objectives of your brand and what it is going to represent. Define your target market and values associated to your brand. Define the image you want to convey with your brand.
3. Create. Choose the name. Choose something that will tie you to your market as opposed to solely on what you personally like.
4. Test your concepts.
5. Be consistent. Once you have chosen and tested your brand thoroughly, make sure you keep all your marketing consistent.

Your logo is your identity.

Part of successful branding is having the right logo to represent you. When your client sees your logo, they should immediately know "who you are". A logo should be simple, easily recognized and easily remembered. Designing a good logo is no simple task. It is hard getting attention from something simple. Think about the golden arches (McDonalds), NY (New York Yankees), rounded checkmark (Nike). These are just some of the most successful uses of logos to create a brand.

Use your web site to market yourself.

The web is the easiest, the simplest and the most direct way to identify yourself to others. Everybody has a web site. These days, a business without a web site are considered less credible. Think of every big successful company and they have a web site. Shouldn't you? It's free marketing. It's cheaper than print and you can control and change content instantaneously. It also gives your client anonymity. Sometimes, a client does not feel comfortable asking you direct questions but they will visit your site to see what you have to offer and for answers to their questions.

Print is not dead.

Remember, you need to combine traditional marketing with online marketing to achieve success today. Key to all marketing is proper branding. Without good branding, all is waste