While creating a new brand or rebranding your business can be really exciting for most business owners, it can also bring on a lot of questions about which fonts to use, the type of logo you need, which colors look best, and so forth.
And the last thing you want is to go through this whole process and then realize you need to do it all over again in a year from now.
So how can you make sure that doesn’t happen to you? We’ve put together our top list of 4 ways to create a lasting brand identity.
You can even use this as a mini-checklist when you’re creating your new branding to make sure it doesn’t fall into any of these categories.
Make it Relevant to Your Audience
My goodness – the amount of time I’ve spent talking about this might be labelled as slightly insane, but I still find myself repeating it.
Your brand is NOT about you! You’re not the hero of the story, your customer is.
That’s not to say that your story doesn’t matter though. Most of us started our business because we personally had a need that wasn’t being met and found a way to bridge the gap.
But… we’re not trying to attract ourselves to our business. If you’re spending your time building a brand and brand identity around you, your likes, and where you’re at, you’re likely pushing those ideal clients away.
So instead, really take the time to narrow down who you’re speaking to and build your logo and branding around attracting that person.
If you’re consistently connecting with your audience through your brand messaging and your brand visuals, you’ll be in an excellent position to create an entire business that lasts.
Keep it Simple, but Significant
Do you ever get that claustrophobic feeling when you’re in a room and there’s just too many people and too much going on?
People will actually feel that way about your logo and branding when you’re trying to shove too many colors, fonts, and elements into it.
And when something is simple, it’s also more likely to be remembered – which is probably one of the main things you want when it comes to your brand identity.
So what are a few ways you can keep it simple?
- Create your three logo variations, but always use your main logo as your first priority.
- Pick 6 colors for your color palette and stick with them (3 primary colors, 3 accent colors)
- Pick 3 fonts max that you’ll use consistently on everything you create.
Even though you’ll be keeping it simple, it will turn out significant because it’s consistent.
Simplifying allows your brand identity to shine and be more easily remembered because your audience will see the same pieces over and over.
How does the old Donald Miller saying go again?
Ah, yes:
Having a simplified but significant brand identity will allow you to do just that!
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Don’t be a Trend Follower
I’ve never been someone who follows trends. That’s not to say “look at me, I’m soo cool”, it’s actually the opposite.
I’m just not cool enough to keep up with or jump on top of the latest trends of fads. I’m good with staying in my own lane and doing what works for me.
And I’d love to encourage you to do the same – especially with your brand identity.
Because although creating your brand identity around a design trend might give you a boost in traffic or followers now, it’s really going to suck when you need to rebrand or refresh next year.
So please take some time to dig deep into the brand messaging and brand why of your business.
This way you’ll know if the brand identity you’re leaning towards really holds true meaning for your mission or if you’re just hopping on the trend train.
Stay Consistent
This point ties into a few of the others, but it’s really worth repeating.
If you want a lasting brand identity, your audience needs to be able to pick you out of a crowd with very little thought.
Staying consistent across all of your platforms and all of your marketing will give your audience the chance to do that.
This is also the perfect opportunity to take some time to audit the heck out of everything you’ve done so far.
Make sure you’re consistently using the same logo, in the same colors. Make sure your fonts are the same on every platform and piece of marketing collateral.
Do your Social Media feeds scream your branding and match your website?
When everything is cohesive it will help to cement your brand identity in your audience’s mind much faster. It’s also going to give your business an edge in credibility that might otherwise be questioned if your brand identity is all over the place!
So let’s recap on what you need to do in order to create a lasting brand identity:
- Make it relevant to your audience
- Make it simple, yet significant
- Don’t be a trend follower
- Keep it consistent
If you can take all of these suggestions and implement them, I’m confident you’ll be able to build a highly successful business.
And now that you know how to create a lasting brand identity, what’s the first thing you’re going to work on?
Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to know where you’re at!
