THE STYLISH GUIDE TO BRANDING YOUR NEW BUSINESS
You’ve got a brilliant idea for a beautiful business that you know has some runway worthy legs.
Now all that’s left to do is ensure your biz appeals to your target market.
Which calls for – drum roll, please – branding!
But where do you begin? What do you need to think about? And how do you organise it?
To help you get started, I’ve compiled a quick checklist of branding and marketing to-do’s.
Choose a business name
Your business name is a fundamental component of your brand image. In many cases, it can even make or break your connection with your audience because it tells them, in an instant, who you are and what you’re all about.
Make sure your business name says the right thing by being creative, strategic and mindful of your target market’s needs.
Once you have a name in mind, you can check whether it is available by visiting the ASIC site.
Confirm your name is digital-friendly
Don’t be that business with an incredible name … that’s already been snapped up with a website and social media profiles!
You want your business to be as easy as possible to find online.
So make sure your business name can be paired with an easy-to-find web domain and social media presence (that is identical or very similar to your biz name) by visiting namecheckr.com
This site doesn’t show .com.au domains though, so make sure you visit another site like crazydomains.com.au to confirm Australian web addresses.
Once you have a business name, lock it all in!
Find a graphic designer
If you’re hoping to cultivate a business that’s instantly alluring to your target market, you’re going to need visual branding your audience will adore.
Your visual branding is the foundation of your business in many ways. It tells your audience who you are, what you do and what they can expect from you.
It is designed to appeal to the right people (your target market) and make your business memorable.
Which means good graphic design isn’t expense … it’s an investment.
Tips for choosing a designer:
· Look for somebody with experience working with similar businesses to yours.
· Make sure you like their style and their portfolio.
· Check that it’s somebody that you feel you can connect and work well with.
· And please, please don’t go for the cheapest option (for example with Fiverr). The last thing you want is for a potential customer to see you as the cheap option.
P.S. Don’t forget, if you like my style I offer visual branding services.
Where to start with your visual brand
So you’ve hired a graphic designer (yay, you!), but you’re not quite sure what to work on first.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to go crazy and get it all done at once.
Here are the initial items I recommend investing in:
Logo and branding style. Make sure that your designer includes a style guide as part of their package so you know the right colours and fonts to use after you’ve finished working together.
Website. Your website is your virtual info brochure, sales person and customer service team all in one. It’s worth hiring a professional to ensure it gets designed thoughtfully and beautifully.
Stationery. Depending on your business type you might also need business cards and electronic letterhead.
And once you get all that sorted, you are ready to come up with a marketing strategy to promote your new business. Hurrah!
Stay tuned, because I'll be covering new business marketing in my next post.
Need help with your visual branding?
I’d love to be your design sidekick! I can come up with a design package tailored to your exact needs.
Otherwise, why not drop me an email and let's organise a quick chat. We can catch up (in person or virtually) for a quick consult (coffee!) about your new business and come up with some ideas about how you can get started on the right track.