Branding Checklist for New Businesses
You have your business/product ready to launch. Now what? Building a professional brand that will make it easy for potential customers to remember is easier and more accessible than ever. If you have an internet connection and 30 minutes, you can the branding you need to grow your business.
Define Your Brand Identity
Determine your brand's mission, vision, and values. Understand your target audience and their preferences. Craft a unique value proposition that sets you apart from competitors.
Create a Professional Logo Ensure scalability and versatility across marketing materials. A professional logo is the first step to building trust and authority with your audience. It should be easy to read quickly on tiny phone screens.
Pro Tip: Build a logo for free to use across your marketing materials in Canva.
It’s a great tool to build a professional logo without design skills, even on their free plan. It’s ideal for someone just starting who doesn't want to spend money on branding but doesn’t mind spending a little time building their brand elements. Once you build your logo, it’s easy to incorporate it into your designs on the platform or export it for use in other marketing channels.
Establish Brand Guidelines
Develop a style guide covering logo usage, color palette, typography, and imagery. Maintain consistency across all brand assets and platforms so it’s extremely easy to identify your content.
Pro Tip: Build a professional logo and brand kit for under $100 in less than 5 minutes
Looka is a great paid tool that uses AI to build a professional logo and brand kit for under $100 in less than 5 minutes. I used them to create my branding and have been very impressed with how easy it was. I love how much time it saved me by creating assets to use across social media, my site, and even business cards with a few clicks. You get full usage rights to use them however you need.
Utilize The Right Social Media Platforms
Determine which social platforms are most relevant to your audience. Develop a content strategy that showcases your brand's personality and values and builds trust with potential customers. Engage with your audience regularly and respond to inquiries promptly. Don’t post and ghost!
Pro Tip: Focus on 1-2 platforms at first.
When starting, it is more important to be hyper-focused on the 1-2 platforms your audience is on than to be everywhere. Focus on scaling once you have mastered a platform will also help save you time.
Produce High-Quality Content Creating professional content quickly and on a budget has never been easier. Content is the lifeblood of a new business, used to attract new audiences, build trust, and engage. Everything you share should have a purpose and align with your brand. Incorporate storytelling to connect with your audience on a deeper level. People want to buy things from brands they feel connected to.
Be Consistent with Messaging Craft a compelling brand narrative that resonates with your audience. Ensure messaging consistency across all channels. You want any message potential customers see to look and feel like your brand. Pro Tip: Less is more with messaging. Many brands try to highlight all the things they can offer, making it confusing for their audience. Stick to a few key points and use them consistently.
Monitor, Learn, Adapt. Track brand performance metrics (engagement, website traffic, sales, etc.). Gather feedback from customers and adjust branding strategies accordingly. Be willing to keep tinkering. When something works, double down on it.
