A Comprehensive Guide To Branding For Startups

How Startups Embrace Branding For Success

Branding can mean lots of different things to different people. For some, it may mean the style of their packaging, the appearance of their logo or their brand colours.

For me, branding is a strategic process focused on strengthening the relationship your customers have with your business. It comprises of many different activities within the branding sphere.

Essentially, branding focuses on all touch points within your business, such as:

• Marketing communications
• Corporate documentation
• Website
• Social channels
• Presentations
• Messaging
• Audience relationships
• Brand personality
• Visual identity
• Tone of voice

Branding before marketing

For startups, the temptation is to move as quickly as possible and start promoting your business. The focus often shifts to marketing activity to put your newly created business in front of your audience.

For some, the branding piece starts and stops with the logo, a mindset that our logo is our identity, we are now good to go.

This is a very high-risk approach and can lead to very real struggles in your key early weeks and months.

No matter how good your product or service is, or how much you have invested in your logo, or packaging, even your website, you run the very real risk of being disconnected from your audience.

For more detailed insights on this aspect please read Why branding should always come before marketing

What is an audience disconnect?

To be successful, whether a startup or an established business, you of course need to know who your target audience is, their motivations and personality drivers.

This is absolutely crucial as you need to connect with your target audience in a way that resonates on a deeper level.

It’s the emotions behind that deeper connection that drive their need for your business above the competition. It’s why they choose you.

When your business is seen simply as ‘another one of the rest’ it is seen as somewhat superficial.

When there’s no reason to choose you above the competition, that is an ‘audience disconnect’.

Why brand foundations are essential

Startups need to hit the ground running. There are many elements that contribute to a successful business from the outset.

The foundations of your brand are built from understanding the very essence of your identity as a business. It articulates the reason you exist and why people choose you above the rest.

The focus covers many aspects, such as purpose, vision, mission, values, messaging, brand archetype, brand statement framing, visual identity, tone of voice and more.

When you have all of those elements aligned specifically with your target audience in mind, you have the purest and most authentic explanation of your business, creating the brand foundations for success.

What a startup needs most

The key factor in setting you on the path to success is to be able to connect on that deeper emotional level with your audience.

With that deeper connection, your audience develops a meaningful relationship with your business. They understand your purpose beyond financial gain, how you’re different and the values that matter to you.

Your audience believe in your brand, they see you as authentic and become loyal advocates.

Above all, your startup needs to be seen as credible. Without credibility, you have no business. Brand development helps position your business with credibility front of mind.

Key outcomes of a coherent brand

As a startup, your path to success is in laying those brand foundations, coherently and consistently. The results of this are:

• A brand that attracts your ideal clients
• Increased trust and credibility
• An audience of loyal and engaged advocates
• A brand that represents your vision at the next level
• Authentic branding that sets you apart from the competition

This is when you begin to resonate powerfully because you bring clarity and a sense of purpose to your audience. Beyond this, you have a branding strategy that consistently conveys your key messaging.

Once your brand foundations are in place you have a platform from which to grow.

Marketing activities can be pursued with confidence in the knowledge that you have a cohesive brand that resonates with your audience in all the right ways, all of the time.
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Why Branding Is A Critical Success Factor For Startups

For startups, it’s critical to get off to a strong start.

Branding is so much more than a logo, a choice of font, or a motto.

Branding gets to the essence of your identity as a business. It communicates that essence across all touch points, all of the time, strengthening the relationship your audience has with you.

Authenticity builds trust. Trust builds credibility. Credibility drives success.

If you would like to discuss brand development for your startup business, or if you are already well established, please get in touch, I’m always happy to share ideas.