The Ultimate Guide to Branding Tips and Ideas

The wonderful thing about branding is that it’s an evolutionary process. There are standard practices that virtually any type of business can use, yet there are unique attributes of every business that will affect how they execute those practices. Through an understanding of what your business objectives are and who your target audience is, you can create a strong brand identity. If you still feel somewhat new to branding, start by implementing these tips and ideas.

Business Cards Will Never Go Out of Style

Although technology is rapidly replacing traditional forms of communication, there is a case to be made for keeping the business card around. It could be argued that it is a timeless and crucial element in business relationships and branding. If you are at a networking event and want to exchange contact information with someone, it is easy to provide your business card. Rather than getting out your phone and asking your new professional contact for their name and number, giving them a good quality business card, accompanied by a logo pen, will go a long way.

Prioritizing Quality Images

Branding is all about building a powerful, recognizable, persuasive image so the actual photographic images you use to build your brand should be just as affecting. If you run a bakery, having sleek, enticing photos of all your beautifully decorated cupcakes, pies, cookies, and other baked goods to upload on your social media platforms is a vital part of branding. It’s not enough to just upload images to Facebook or Twitter; the images should be sharp, well-lit, and professional. If it is within your budget, you could hire a professional photographer and invest in high-quality images. This is especially important if you run a business account on Instagram.

Run Contests and Promotional Giveaways

If you are looking for new ways to get your brand out there and build a bigger presence on social media, plan to run a few contests and promotional giveaways throughout the year. These are just some great ways to encourage your followers and current customers to participate in your company’s branding.

Get creative! Research what types of promotional giveaways other brands have successfully executed in the past. Give away a free branded business bag when someone spends a certain amount of money on your website. Or offer a buy one, get one half off. Another popular option is to offer a discount for first-time purchasers who sign up for branding e-mails. Promote one big giveaway each year to drum up buzz and excitement with a big-ticket item as the prize. Online contests, special discounts, and promotional giveaways are a great way to get people talking about your brand. And the best part about running these giveaways on social media is that some of your followers may end up sharing it on their personal accounts, thus garnering even more attention for your business.

Use Written and Video Content to Your Advantage

You don’t have to be a professional writer or videographer to come up with great written and video content. It just takes a sense of humor and a bit of creativity. Because so much of marketing and branding is done online these days, you can churn out lots of engaging content across various social media platforms. For example, when you write a caption for a photo on Instagram, you want to write it in your company’s tone of voice. Of course, before you can do that, you’ll have to identify what that voice is. Is your brand playful, light, and funny? Or is it more straightforward, professional, and serious? The content produced by your company should all be consistent with your brand and audience.

Video can also be used to build a strong brand. Consider “going live” on Facebook when you have some interesting news to share or a behind-the-scenes look at something you think your followers might appreciate. In addition to Facebook Live and Instagram Stories, you might want to consider creating some more professional video footage, especially if you have products or services that you can show off and demonstrate in the video.

There is no one way to build a brand. You can only reap great success in your brand-building endeavors when you dedicate your time to researching various methods and implementing things that might work. From utilizing corporate gifts to growing your online presence, it takes multiple strategies to build a strong brand. But once you decide to commit to growing your brand, the possibilities are limitless.