Having a consistent style with every interaction you have with the public is highly valuable, especially for a small business. Using the same fonts, language, colors, messaging, and more shows that your brand is established and trustworthy and illustrates to potential clients that you are exceedingly professional. You want your business to be noticeable to potential leads and support you in winning deals, and having a consistent brand can help tremendously.
Your Message
Your message is your mission, who your target audience is, and what problems you solve. Your messaging is what establishes your competitive edge and what your company values. Create your message by focusing on your strengths, and make sure that it resonates clearly with your audience across all platforms.
Your Logo
A standardized logo is a significant asset because it serves as the face of your business. A professional logo designer is a worthwhile investment because your logo is such an essential part of your website, business cards, proposals, and other marketing materials. But if you are on a budget, there are many “do-it-yourself” logo generating sites. Either way, reflect on your design before the final decision is made to be sure it matches your vision of your brand.
Your Colors
The importance of brand colors can not be underrated. They speak to the personality of your company and can be the first impression of your values. You want your brand to reflect a particular style, so choose a color palette that plays into that emotion and supports the personality you are trying to portray. If you want your brand to represent high energy or fun, use more vibrant hues. If you want your brand to be viewed as a classic, use a monochromatic or muted color pallet. Developing a style guide with the colors and their HEX/CMYK/RGB codes can be a time saver and enhance the consistency of your brand.
Your Fonts
People will make assumptions about your content based on the font style before they even get the chance to read it. Are you playful and fun or serious? Playful or minimalist? Think about your industry and what your customers want to see from you. For example, if you are a playground company, a more playful font is appropriate because it is a fun and dynamic company. But a logistics company requires a more traditional font because customers are looking for reliability when trusting a business with their transcontinental shipping needs.
Your Domain
A personalized domain name is critical when establishing credibility. Once you have a company name, secure the domain so no one else can claim it. You will thank yourself in the future because you are saving yourself from the frustration of someone else claiming it or having to repurchase it at an inflated price from a domain troll.
Your Email
Emails that resemble “companyname@gmail.com” do not support a professional appearance or credibility. Securing a customized email address that matches your domain can go a long way in representing your company. Most domain hosting platforms have options to set up an email as part of their services. If you currently are using a non-branded email, do not worry; some services can migrate all of your existing emails to a Microsoft Outlook account that uses your personalized domain name.
Your Website
A prominent web presence is essential to small business success. The decision to invest in a professional website should be one of the first choices you make as a business owner. Your website is the place your visitors will go to find your location, contact information, services, and products. All of the branding concepts mentioned throughout this article should coexist on your website. Utilize your font and color guide when creating your website to make sure everything works together and is consistent. Developing a comprehensive website can be time-consuming. Sometimes it is best to reach out to custom website development experts for help.
Your Social Media
Your social media handles should mirror your domain and email address. Secure your company name as your social media handles for each social media you currently have, want, or see yourself using in the future. If you do not have the time or support to keep up with every social media platform out there, just pick a couple and start there. Too many accounts can cause you and your team to feel scattered, resulting in little to no activity. Be sure to keep your branding consistent with your profile picture, background picture, the content you share, and images you post.
Partner with Purpose
Starting a business is no easy feat. Your brand and how it is distributed across various marketing and technology platforms may be placed on the back burner. Finding a partner that understands the unique needs of small to mid-size businesses can impact the speed of getting started and the quality of your branding. At Bauen Solutions, we focus on your brand’s personality to create professional, modern, and easy-to-visit websites, technology roadmaps, or applications. Bring your dream to life while building brand loyalty and growing your market with the experts at Bauen.
