5 proven steps that will help you create a powerful brand identity for your business

It’s impossible to build a successful business without creating a strong brand.

So, what is a brand and what are the elements of brand identity? Here’s what you need to know – 5 proven steps that will help you create a powerful brand identity for your business.

 What is brand identity?

A brand is the experience your customers and customer prospects have with your company.

A strong brand communicates what your company does, how it does it, and at the same time, establishes trust and credibility with your prospects and customers.

Your company’s brand is, in many ways, its personality.

Your brand lives in everyday interactions your company has with its prospects and customers, including the images you share, the messages you post on your website, the content of your marketing materials, your presentations and booths at conferences, and your posts on social networks.

Any aspect of your brand that fosters a connection between you and your customers is part of your brand identity.

Your company’s logo, colour scheme, slogan – those are all essential elements of a compelling brand identity.

However, it’s important to think beyond the visual experiences of your brand and extend your branding to include the emotional component of customers’ experiences with your business.

A truly memorable brand identity is an expression of your business at its core.

It is what you make, how you make it, and why you make it – all of the emotionally driven elements that connect people to your brand.

Why does your business need a strong brand identity?

First impressions are everything for a business, and especially for a new business. In fact, 48% of consumers report that they are more likely to become loyal to a brand during the first purchase or experience.

95% of all purchasing decisions are made subconsciously, making it vital for companies to create a brand identity that evokes positive emotions.

If you want your business to make a positive first impression on customers and prospects, you have to be sure that your brand identity works in your favour.

A strong brand increases the value of your company, creates an identity and motivation for your employees, and makes it easier for you to acquire new customers. A brand represents how people know you (or your business), and how they perceive your reputation or the reputation of your company. In today’s noisy world, a strong brand is more important than it has ever been.

How do you build a strong brand identity for your business? 

Step 1: Conduct a detailed brand audit. 

The first step to build a strong brand identity is to understand who your customer is and what they want and need. Be clear – imagine your customer as a real person, what are their pain points, what benefits do you offer, where do they hang out on and offline?

Step 2: Create your unique selling proposition and messaging. 

Once you understand your customers, you should establish your company’s core values and philosophies. Why should your customers care about your brand? How does your company stand out from the competition? What values does your brand have that will resonate with your customers or prospects?

Step 3: Develop the creative elements of your brand.

Once you understand your customers and know your unique selling proposition, it’s time to develop the creative elements you’ll use in your company’s brand. Creative elements are the look, feel, and voice of your brand. You’ll communicate them consistently across all marketing channels and it’s extremely important to get them right.

Step 4: Develop and execute strategies to build brand equity.

A strong brand identity is built over time. When you create brand elements and your brand, you’re not finished. You still must develop and execute strategies that will build a strong brand equity.

Brand equity is a marketing term that describes a brand’s value. That value is determined by consumer perception of and experiences with the brand. If people think highly of a brand, it has positive brand equity. When a brand consistently under-delivers and disappoints to the point where people recommend that others avoid it, it has negative brand equity.

A company like Apple or Sony has high brand equity, and that creates value those companies use to their advantage. It also has a positive effect on a company’s bottom line. Some of the most well-known companies brands are worth millions of pounds.

Brand recognition is one of the best-known ways to build equity, but it’s only one of many.

Step 5: Evolve your brand identity over time.

Few brands can remain static over time. Even the largest, most successful companies must regularly evolve their brands and brand identities to keep up with the times.

You should regularly assess your brand and consider refining brand elements and your brand identity when the brand no longer stands for the unique selling proposition the brand delivers.

To summarise, a strong brand identity is a critical component of any business’ longevity and success.

Build a strong brand, create brand equity through great customer experiences and relationships, evolve your brand to keep it strong, and you’ll create a brand identity that will help your business grow.