Branding a business the correct ways

Branding is one of the most important aspects of a business, and often is one of the first large investments a company makes. Simply put, branding is what your customer/clients can expect from your business. This encompasses so many facets of your business, but today I wanted to chat about the most visual part: the brand identity, which includes the logo, photography, and look + feel of your brand.   A successful brand identity sets your business apart from competition, and gives you an edge. It establishes you as an expert in your field, and builds trust in your audience. But when should you invest in a new brand identity? Here are a few reasons why it might be the right time to get serious about your branding. Stay tuned until the end for a FREE BONUS PDF on the 5 steps to start building your brand.   NEW COMPANY The best time to begin the branding process is when you just established a business. It seems a bit paradoxical, but depending on the industry + seriousness of your new business, it is wise to start off on the right foot. A quality brand identity not only establishes your business as professional, it also attracts your ideal customers/clients. If you don’t want to waste time in your business, I would recommend investing in quality branding from the get go, to ensure that you are conveying your message + vision in its best light.   Though, being a small business myself, I completely understand holding off on large investments until you have generated a bit of income to pay for it. If you are in this boat, hop on over to a recent post about how to rebrand. This is a short-term temporary solution, but should suffice until you have saved up for the branding investment.   NEW NAME If you recently changed your business name, for instance from your personal name to an external name, then re-branding makes sense. Typically, when a business changes names it goes through other transitions as well. This could include new services, a different approach to their existing services/products, or a revitalized outlook on their brand. With all of these changes, it is nice to also give your brand identity a fresh face.   A new brand identity will also indicate the transition to your audience. It will visually tell them that something new is going on behind the scenes. The new brand identity provides an opportunity to build hype around the transition, and to explain the new direction of your business.