Branding is a key for any new business. As entrepreneur Corey Shader explains, a solid plan and approach to branding can be the difference between a successful business and a failure.
Branding is how you will make your business stand out from the competition and how you will convey your message to potential customers. If you don’t have a sound plan, a solid approach and a strong commitment to this, it will be very difficult for you to spread the word.
There are many different approaches you can take to branding, and many different components as well. Below are the three best branding essentials that any new business should start with.
Strong and Unique Logo
After you’ve settled on your business name, the most important thing to do is to create a logo for your company. It’s important that this logo is both strong and unique. You want your logo to eventually be synonymous with your business, much in the way that logos for companies such as Pepsi, Google, Visa, FedEx and Nike are.
Your logo should tell a story and resonate with your target customers. It needs to have the right balance of design, color and words — if you’re using any text at all.
When you create your logo, it’s probably best to entrust the design process to an experienced professional. Not all graphic designers specialize in branding. So, make sure that you’re hiring the right person who can add value to your logo creation.
Modern Website
Customers today are bound to look you up online if they’re unfamiliar with you. And even after they’re long-term customers, they may still turn to your website from time to time for information they need.
Your website, in essence, is today’s equivalent of a storefront. It’s the first thing many potential customers will see when they’re introduced to your business. If you have a slow-loading website that looks old — or, worse yet, you don’t have a website at all — customers are likely to look unfavorably toward your business.
An ill-designed website that’s not automatically optimized for all devices — both desktop and mobile — will convey a message that you’re not up with the times. So, make sure that you’re investing the time, money and energy into creating an outstanding modern website.
Custom Packaging
Successful branding will convey a message of professionalism at all stages. One surefire way to look like an amateur today is to use generic packaging.
Your products’ package is an excellent opportunity to continue branding your product. It’s a way to convey a message — through words, pictures, design and colors — that your product is the one that customers should want to purchase.
As Corey Shader explains, custom packaging is one of the most important aspects of branding for new businesses. It shows customers that you pay attention to detail and that you care about how you’re viewed at every step of the customer journey.
So, don’t forget to pay attention to the packages your products are stored, displayed and delivered in.
About Corey Shader
Corey Shader is a self-made entrepreneur, consultant, investor, real estate developer, and founder of several companies, notably Insurance Pipeline. Operating primarily out of Ft. Lauderdale, Corey’s endeavors span across the nation, consulting for start-ups, and sitting on the board of digital media and senior healthcare agencies. As a consultant, Corey helps young businesses develop sales funnels and maximize profitability. Shader takes pride in challenging others to push themselves to be their very best — he believes in constant self-improvement, inspiring others through sharing his own life experiences.
