As a business owner, your zone of genius is probably related to the service or product you offer. And unless that happens to be branding and design, those things might not come easily to you. From figuring out fonts to creating a cohesive-looking feed on Instagram, it can be really challenging for business owners to navigate branding design. 

If that sounds like you, you’re not alone! As a branding expert with more than 10 years of experience, I’ve talked with tons of business owners who struggle to create branding that flows. Today, I’m giving you some quick business branding tips to spruce up your brand and start showing up with confidence!

Create a Brand Guideline

A business without a brand guideline is like a piece of Ikea furniture without instructions. Yes, you might be able to wing it and throw something together, but will it hold up in the long run? Probably not. 

A brand guideline is essentially a branding bible for you to use in your business. Your brand guideline provides a reference for every element in your branding. From your color palette and font styles to logos and submarks, your brand guideline is the standard by which you use your branding.

Establishing a brand guideline helps you ensure that you show up consistently across all areas of your business. And when you do that, your audience gets to know your business, recognizes you, and develops trust in it. With that, you can connect with them and build a relationship that can transform them from fans to customers.

Define What Makes You Unique

Even if your business is competing in what might feel like a saturated market, the truth is, your business is unique. No one can do exactly what you do exactly how you do it. One of my top business branding tips is to make sure that, in your branding, you identify what sets your business apart. 

Your distinguishing characteristics might be your values, mission, your brand personality, or even something different about the benefits your products or services provide customers. Your branding design is your chance to highlight why your business is unique and why your ideal customers should pay attention.

By creating a brand design that emphasizes what makes your business special, and that appeals specifically to your ideal audience, you can stand out from the crowd no matter how many competitors you might have.

 

Create a Clear Business Vision

Creating a clear business vision doesn’t just help you figure out your end goal. It gives you a broad view of where you are and where you want to be. Establishing a business vision is one of my top business branding tips because, with your vision, you can build a business that aligns with your goals and where exactly you want to take your business in the future.

To define your vision, begin by imagining what you want your business to become in the future. This is a great opportunity to think big, aim high, and contemplate your aspirations. 

Consider what drove and motivated you to start your business in the first place. What is your primary focus? 

What do you hope to become known for? Think about what success means to you and what your ideal accomplishments would include. How will you measure your successes along the way? Think about what you are excited to create and provide to customers, and what value you can share with them.

Grab the Business Vision Guide to help you strategically define what your business stands for and where you want the business to go, so you focus your time and efforts where it counts.

Create a Brand You Can Grow With

We enjoy the latest trends as much as anyone, but when it comes to branding your business, it’s much better to go for what’s timeless. One of the most important business branding tips I can share is to build a brand that can grow and mature with your business.

Trendy and busy designs might be great right now, but will they still align with your values, goals, and vision for your business several years down the road? When you look at the classic and timeless logos of long-standing brands, they tend to be simple. 

That simplicity allows organizations to grow, change, and advance without having to completely overhaul their branding to meet where they are.

Use Preset Templates for Consistent Marketing

Even for designers, it can be challenging to create unique and eye-catching social media posts and content that will appeal to your target audience. That’s why preset templates are such a great resource, and using them is definitely one of my business branding tips.

Using templates ensures that everything you share has a consistent look, feel, and design. Don’t start from scratch every time you post, or haphazardly choose templates on Canva from different designers with different styles. Instead, use a set of templates created to be cohesive and that will flow in your feed with your branding.

Our Ultimate Marketing Kit has all the templates businesses need to show up consistently and confidently on social media. The best part? They can easily be customized in Canva with your business’ colors and fonts. With a few quick clicks, you can create branded and cohesive content with our easy-to-use templates.

Clearly Define Your Brand Messaging

Your brand messaging is just as important as the graphics and visuals you share with your audience. Your messaging, or how you share your business’ value and personality – In other words, is the backbone of how you communicate with your ideal customers. 

Any written content you create should be consistent with the voice of your business. Communicating authentically and genuinely in your messaging will allow audiences to feel that they are getting to know you and will develop a sense of trust in your brand. While your messaging should be targeted, strategic, and intentional, you should also align with your voice and values. 

Avoid constant plugs and pushes to sell, and instead, create opportunities for engagement and interaction. As your customers learn who you are, they will begin to feel connected and loyal to your business.

Want a complete look at your branding by an expert brand designer? Check out our new Brand Audit service. We’ll evaluate your business in the marketplace and explore if your current brand is aligned with your overall vision and goals. With the Brand Audit, we take a close look at how you can improve your current brand and the action steps needed to make it happen.