Kickstart your Brand

A Guide to Having Your Brand in 2019

Entrepreneurs often assume once they get the doors of their new venture open to the public they can ease off slightly. However, nothing is further from the truth. Attention must be brought to the brand to draw the target audience in and generate interest.

However, many business owners don’t know how to achieve this goal, even those who have been in operation for some time. How can one go about kickstarting their brand in 2019? There are numerous ways to do so, and following are some every business should consider trying.

Domain Name Originality

Consumers can only visit a website when they know the domain name. However, finding a unique and creative name that hasn’t already been taken tends to be challenging.

When the internet first launched, a person could simply choose a keyword to search for and enter that keyword followed by .com to arrive at a website. This is no longer the case. When selecting a domain name, try to be creative while still letting consumers know what the brand offers.

A good example of how this works is offered by Ruby Receptionists. This company wanted to find a way to help users find their domain at any time. Using the company name was too cumbersome and they needed something unique that also provided information about what they offer. For this reason, they chose to go with CallRuby.com.

Not only does it incorporate part of the company name, but people call receptionists when they wish to reach a company. The call portion of the domain name reminds them they can reach out to this company at any time when they need a receptionist.

The domain name can then be used on other materials to market the company. For example, a company may wish to put the name and the URL on a t-shirt to share with customers or include it on company car decals.

Connections

The internet allows users to remain anonymous. However, to truly kickstart a brand, entrepreneurs need to be very transparent. Consumers want to know more about the company, who is behind it, what it offers, and more.

Sharing this information is crucial to generating more interest in the company. While big names like Coca Cola and Nike don’t need to worry about providing background information, new companies cannot afford to overlook this valuable step.

Certain entrepreneurs are opting to use their name for their company. Is this a wise move? While it does make the company more personal when a human’s name is used, this technique only works when it truly makes sense. For example, Greenpeace works as a business name because it provides information about the company’s goals and values. Using a human’s name won’t provide much information for the consumer at first unless he or she personally knows the founder.

Create a Distinct Brand Logo

People often jot down a logo on a piece of paper when they first start thinking about opening their business. When the time comes to actually launch the venture, they pull this paper out and use the logo as originally created. Don’t make this mistake.

The logo could easily become a symbol that is known the world over, like the Nike Swoosh. Make certain the logo provides information about the brand and what it stands for rather than simply a casual drawing.

Don’t hesitate to seek outside assistance when creating this logo. Graphic designers understand how to take an entrepreneur’s goals and values and create a logo that truly reflects them. Remember this logo could be in place for decades or centuries to come, so this is one area where spending money is always the right thing to do.

Routine Audits

Business owners need to know where their brand currently is in terms of the competition and the target audience. They often assume that once the brand is up and running they are in good shape. However, this is not the case.

Reputation management plays a large role in this, but there are many other things a business owner needs to keep in mind when conducting this audit. For example, how well are the company operations aligning with the stated values and goals of the organization?

The audit helps to identify if the company is falling behind in this area so changes can be made before consumers discover the discrepancy and turn elsewhere for the desired products and services. Audits of this type should be conducted a minimum of twice a year for the best results.

Visuals

People tend to be overwhelmed by text every day. The best way to get their attention is to use this technique minimally and rely more on visuals. Images help to provide information to the consumer while also delighting them. The use of art and illustrations helps a business connect to its audience while making it more personable.

However, business owners need to ensure the visuals they use reflect what their business has to offer. Certain companies opt to make use of animation to enhance their marketing materials, and others find they benefit from partnering with a celebrity to create new product offerings.

Regardless of which types of visuals are selected, businesses need to recognize the use of this technique humanizes the brand while helping to set it apart from competitors. Furthermore, it increases the consumer’s connection with the brand and may also boost his or her loyalty.

Numerous other things may be done to kickstart a business in 2019. Consider making use of guerrilla marketing techniques, such as including a business card in every bill payment that goes out, and work with bloggers and journalists to alert more people to the organization and what it provides.

Regularly post on social media to keep the company name in the public’s mind and partner with other businesses to generate new leads. Building a brand takes time and effort and the brand image must be maintained once it has been established.

Consistently focusing on the brand must take priority, and those who emphasize doing so as part of their daily operations find their return on investment to be excellent.