Essential Tips for Building a Strong Business Brand

Building a strong business brand is critical for small businesses aiming to stand out in a crowded market. A clear, well-defined brand sets a business apart, highlights its values, and creates a connection with customers. 

It also helps in building trust and loyalty, which are vital for growth. There are key steps to follow to establish and maintain a powerful brand identity. 

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These steps ensure consistency and alignment across all business activities, leading to a brand that resonates globally and stands the test of time.

What is a Brand?

A brand defines a business, product, service, person, or concept in the market. It sets a business apart from competitors in the same industry. A strong brand follows specific guidelines that shape how the business is marketed and presented. 

Branding involves creating a unique identity—its visual elements, tone, and the target audience it aims to reach.

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Key Elements for Building a Strong Business Brand

To create a strong brand, focus on these three core elements:

1. Visual Identity

The visual identity includes your logo, color palette, and overall design style. It’s the first impression customers have of your brand, so it’s important to make it memorable. 

Consistency in visual design across all platforms helps strengthen brand recognition. Think of how Coca-Cola’s red and white colors are instantly recognized worldwide.

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2. Voice and Tone

The way your brand communicates is key to forming connections with your audience. Whether it’s friendly, authoritative, or somewhere in between, the voice should reflect the company’s values and resonate with the audience. 

For example, Mailchimp uses a relaxed, humorous tone to make email marketing feel accessible and enjoyable.

3. Core Values and Mission

Your mission and core values define what your brand stands for and guide business decisions. 

They also help form a deeper emotional connection with your audience. Brands like Patagonia use environmental sustainability as a core value, appealing directly to customers who prioritize eco-consciousness.

How to Build a Strong Business Brand in 7 Steps

Building a strong business brand is essential for standing out in a competitive market. Establishing a clear and consistent brand identity lays the groundwork for long-term brand awareness and growth. 

The following seven steps focus on developing a brand that resonates globally.

1. Research Your Target Market

Knowing your target market is essential before building a strong business brand. This means understanding your potential customers and identifying your competitors. A solid brand strategy begins here.

Start by gathering insights into your audience’s preferences. This will guide key brand decisions, including logo design and personality. An understanding of your competitors, both direct and indirect, will also help you position your brand effectively.

Here’s how to gather the necessary market data:

  • Analyze Competitors: Search for your product or service category online. Identify brands that are competing directly and indirectly with your business.
  • Engage with Your Audience: Connect with people who are part of your target market. Ask them about their preferred brands and what they value.
  • Monitor Social Media: Look at social media accounts that your target audience follows. Understand the content they engage with.
  • Observe Buying Habits: Whether online or in physical stores, observe how your audience shops for products similar to yours.
  • Identify Industry Trends: Stay updated by reading industry publications, using tools like Google Trends, and scanning relevant social media.

While doing this research, pay attention to leading brands in your industry. What are they doing right? Identify what your business can offer that they don’t—this is your unique selling proposition (USP).

Also, be mindful of the habits and behaviors of your target audience, including the platforms they use and their preferred communication styles.

2. Determine Your Brand’s Voice and Personality

A strong brand isn’t for everyone. It’s important to develop a distinct point of view (POV) that speaks directly to your target audience. This will set your brand apart and make it clear that your brand is designed for them. Establishing a strong voice and personality is crucial for connecting with your market.

Here’s how to define your brand’s voice and personality:

Create a Positioning Statement

A positioning statement helps clarify your brand’s place in the market. It’s not typically public-facing but serves as a guiding compass for your brand’s story and direction.

A good positioning statement should outline:

  • What your product or service is
  • Who it’s for
  • What makes your business unique
  • Your value proposition

Use this template: “We offer [PRODUCT/SERVICE] for [TARGET MARKET] to [VALUE PROPOSITION]. Unlike [THE COMPETITION], we [KEY DIFFERENTIATOR].”

For example: “We offer waterproof daypacks for travelers that fold into a wallet-sized pouch. Unlike other brands, we guarantee our packs for life—no questions asked.”

Brainstorm Using Word Association

Think of your brand as a person. What kind of personality would attract your audience? Describe this person. Translate that personality into brand traits.

Fashion branding expert Joey Ng suggests narrowing down key traits and words that describe your brand’s persona. Whether it’s bold, reliable, or playful, these traits will guide the tone and style of your communications. 

This helps create consistency and clarity in all your messaging, which is essential for building trust globally.

3. Choose Your Business Name

Choosing a name for your business is a significant decision. It’s one of the first things customers will associate with your brand. Ideally, your brand name should be unique, memorable, and aligned with your products or services. 

It should stand out in the market and be easy to recall while also being hard for others to imitate.

Here are some approaches to selecting a brand name:

  • Create a New Word: Invent a completely original word, like “Pepsi.”
  • Reframe an Unrelated Word: Use a name that doesn’t directly relate to your industry, like “Apple” for computers or “Maple” for healthcare.
  • Use a Suggestive Word: Choose a word that suggests your business’s purpose, like “Buffer.”
  • Be Literal: Opt for a straightforward name that describes your business, such as “The Shoe Company” or “Home Depot.”
  • Modify Existing Words: Alter an existing word by changing its spelling, like “Tumblr” or “Activia.”
  • Create an Acronym: Use initials to form a shorter version of a longer name, like “HBO” for Home Box Office.
  • Combine Words (Portmanteau): Merge two words, such as “Pinterest” (pin + interest) or “Snapple” (snappy + apple).
  • Use Your Own Name: Build the brand around your personal name, like “Donna Karan” or “DKNY.”

4. Write Your Brand Story

A strong brand story brings your business to life. It helps create a personal connection with your audience and builds trust. People are more likely to engage with brands that have authentic, transparent stories. 

Your brand story can include the history of your business or your journey as a founder. Make it compelling and relatable to show why your brand exists and how it meets your customers’ needs.

5. Create a Brand Style Guide

Your brand style guide defines your business’s visual identity. It includes all the design elements representing your brand, such as colors, fonts, and logo usage. 

This guide is essential for maintaining consistency across your website, social media, packaging, and marketing materials.

Choosing Your Colors

Colors play a critical role in shaping how customers perceive your brand. While color psychology can vary, certain colors are generally associated with specific emotions or moods. 

For instance, darker, cool colors may work well for an edgy or sleep-related brand, while warm pastels might fit a wellness or baby brand.

Tips for Selecting Colors:

  • Ensure that text remains legible over your chosen colors.
  • Keep your logo simple—avoid using too many colors. It should be identifiable even in black and white.
  • Research your target market to understand cultural or demographic differences that may impact how color is perceived.
  • Limit your palette to one or two primary colors, with a set of accent colors that can change depending on the application.

Selecting Fonts

Fonts are another visual element that helps define your brand’s identity. Choose fonts that are easy to read and complement your overall design. 

A general rule is to pick two fonts: one for headings and another for body text. These fonts should work together to create a cohesive look across your brand’s materials.

For example, a brand like Floof uses one sans serif font for headers and navigation, keeping the design simple yet effective.

6. Design Your Logo and Brand Assets

Your logo is a crucial element of your brand’s identity, but it should come later in the process after defining other aspects of your brand. 

Once locked in, a logo is difficult to change, so it’s important to ensure it aligns with your overall brand vision. It needs to be unique, identifiable, and scalable to work across all sizes and platforms.

Your logo should reflect the feelings and story you want to convey to your customers. It should also fit seamlessly within your established color palette and brand values.

Consider the various places your logo will appear:

  • Website
  • Social media profiles
  • Product packaging
  • Video ads
  • YouTube channel banner
  • Browser favicon (small icon in browser tabs)
  • Email marketing
  • Press mentions and partnerships

In some cases, you may need to create different versions of your logo for various applications. 

For instance, a text-based logo may not be legible at smaller sizes like a favicon or social media avatar. In such cases, a simplified visual version of the logo may be necessary.

Types of Logos

While wordmarks and lettermarks (type-based logos) are popular choices for modern brands, other logo types may work better depending on your business and brand goals.

Some common logo styles include:

  • Abstract Logos: Combinations of shapes and colors that don’t directly represent an object or word but create a unique identity for your brand.
  • Iconic Logos: Simple graphic symbols or icons that can stand alone or be paired with text.
  • Combination Marks: A mix of text and imagery that provides flexibility in branding.

7. Apply Your Branding Across Your Business

Consistency is key when applying your branding across all aspects of your business. Whether customers encounter your brand through an ad, in-store, or via email, the experience should always feel familiar and recognizable.

To ensure your brand remains cohesive, refer to your brand guidelines, mission statement, and values when building your website, setting up social media accounts, and developing your marketing plan. 

Every decision should reflect the brand’s core identity and target audience.

Your Website

Your website is the primary platform where you can fully control your brand’s presentation. It serves as the hub for your brand identity. Use this space to highlight your brand’s visual assets, colors, fonts, and messaging.

If you’re using an e-commerce platform like Shopify, you can choose customizable templates that match your brand’s design. 

These templates allow you to incorporate your branding into a flexible layout, ensuring a seamless online experience for visitors.

Evolving a Business Brand

Building a business brand isn’t limited to designing a logo. It’s an ongoing effort to strengthen your brand identity in customers’ minds worldwide. Success comes from consistency in messaging and intentional marketing.

Brand development continues throughout a business’s life. As values shift or consumer trends change, brands must evolve. 

However, loyal customers should recognize the brand and have the same experience even during a rebrand. Gathering feedback from these customers is vital to adapt and grow alongside the people who matter most.