The iconic half-bitten apple from Apple products.
The giant loopy yellow M of Mcdonald’s.
The sleek entwined Cs of Chanel.
The green mermaid lady of Starbucks.
The bowtie-wearing bunny profile of Playboy.
Some brand logos carve a unique spot in our memories. When you consider that the average UK company is willing to pay up to £2,000 simply for logo design, it becomes obvious that a logo can make or break a brand.
Paul Rand, the designer behind the famous IBM and UPS logo, shares his view.
“A logo is an instrument of pride and should be shown at its best. If in the business of communications, ‘image is king,’ the essence of this image, the logo, is the jewel in its crown.”
Yet, this doesn’t mean that the logo is the sole identity of your brand. The logo will act as an identifiable visual. But there is more to your business brand than this. Indeed, there are so many elements to building your brand that it can be easy to forget what’s actually important — especially when you have more pressing concerns, like getting new customers or ramping up production of your new product line. What is your brand made of?
A Unique And Meaningful Business Name
A unique business name is the foundation for your brand. There are many aspects to consider when selecting one, but the most important are the spelling and the length. The name needs to be easy enough to spell so that people can find you in their search engine or on social media. It also needs to be one word or a short phrase so that it doesn’t become too complicated or confusing. These two things will make your company easy for customers to find and will ensure they never forget it!
Meaning is another aspect you want to put on the must-have list. A name with meaning has a specific advantage: it is a lot easier to establish. Ideally, when you are launching a brand new business, you want a name that resonates with people from day one. To do so, the business name should embody your service or industry, ensuring that your target audience can easily remember it.
Finally, the most difficult part of naming your brand is ensuring that the name is indeed still available. That’s precisely why it’s important to reserve a company name as soon as you have found the ideal combination of uniqueness and meaning.
Organic Visibility – Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
A good name and a great logo are a fantastic start, but if you can’t get them in front of your audience, people are never going to remember your brand. That’s precisely why your presence in search engine results is primordial to the brand. A brand that’s not visible doesn’t survive. Therefore, investing in your SEO strategy as soon as you are ready to launch your business will serve two crucial branding purposes:
- Ensuring visibility for the right audience group
- Defining the brand through the choice of keywords
With search engines like Google and Bing being the driving force behind how people find your business, it’s essential to target those engines. Luckily, there are some things you can do to bring your brand forward through SEO. If you want your brand to rank higher in search results for specific search terms, you’ll need to carefully select the right keywords and phrases that convey your brand values.
You can also submit your website URL to directories and blogs with high credibility ratings while avoiding the trap of appearing everywhere. Selecting your keywords, directories, and content generation for branding SEO means intentionally leaving out popular and trendy aspects that do not reflect your brand identity.
An Engaging And Approachable Social Media Presence
Social media is one element that many businesses forget to do right. While the use of social media can be overwhelming, it is essential to have an engaging online presence in today’s world. You need to have a strong online presence because this is where your customers will find you and it’s important for them to know that they can interact with you.
The best brands are the ones that are approachable and responsive to their customers. Customers want to feel like they’re having an authentic conversation with your brand on social media, which is why it’s important to use social media for all the good that it can bring. People love interacting with brands on social media because it makes them feel like you care about what they have to say.
This is especially helpful when something goes wrong–customers appreciate being informed about changes or updates in a timely manner, so if there is an issue with an order, for example, your customer service team should be ready and willing to help fix things up as soon as possible.
Consistent Branding Voice Across All Platforms
Consistent branding is vital to any business, and it’s so easy to do. Take your logo, for example. It should be used in all your marketing materials, on your website, on your packaging and on product labels.
It’s equally important to make sure that the way you talk about your business is consistent across social media posts, email newsletters and more. Your business voice is part of your brand and defines elements of your identity. Disparities between platforms can lead not only to confusion but also rejection. Customers seek authentic brands they can trust.
Therefore, if your tone of voice constantly varies depending on which platform you are using, it harms your brand authenticity and the trust the audience has in you.
What is a brand? For business, the brand may seem no more than a good logo design. In reality, every aspect of your business process makes up your brand. But when it comes to customers, people will first remember your name, your digital presence, and your voice.
Don’t let it fool you, though. Your branding efforts must continue further and also include the overall customer experience, such as designing quality products and services, providing quality support, and making customers feel valued. Yet, your first priority when creating a brand is to ensure you’ve got everything ready to impress also your non-buying audience, hence the role of SEO, business naming, social media, and voice creation.