How to Create and Build a Brand For Your Small Business

Brand Basics: What is a Brand?

A brand is a collection of associations in people's minds about a product, service, experience or organization — and that doesn’t just mean your logo. It’s how consumers feel about you, how you look, how you communicate and more. Your brand can show up across many different customer touchpoints, like Facebook, Instagram, your company website, physical spaces and advertisements. In sum, a brand is a reason people should care about your business.

Articulating and Building Your Brand

When defining your brand and what makes it unique, consider these four different pillars: existence, purpose, identity and connection.

• Existence: The creation story, or your existence, is the first step in providing answers to why people should care about you or your product or service. You’ll want to think about who your consumer is, how you fit into your market and what your business’ personality is all about.
• Purpose: Your purpose is the goods or services you sell, but more importantly, it’s why you’re here. It’s the meaning behind your existence that goes beyond just turning a profit.
• Identity: Your identity refers to visual clues that are the quickest way to suggest abstract ideas about your brand. You’ll want to develop a style, through things like photography or illustration. It’s crucial for brands to make an impactful and memorable impression on potential customers, and defining your visual identity is a way that you can establish uniqueness.
• Connection: Consumers have the power to choose which brand is right for them, and brands have the ability to influence those choices. This shows up often in the way you communicate. Stick to one main message and ensure your copywriting reflects your tone of voice and brand personality.

See an example of what it looks like when all of this comes together.