Branding.
You’ve heard about it from us before. You probably know it well by now. But this time around, we are going to answer a different branding question: Should I do it myself, or should I hire a professional to help construct my brand?
The answer? It depends!
But first, here’s a quick recap as to why it is important to brand your business in the first place.
- It is often the first (and sometimes last) impression that your company gives to people. You have that one chance, whether it is on your website, your business cards, or your social media, to make a lasting impression on an individual. So make it count!
- A good brand increases business value.
- It also creates trust, both within the office and out in the marketplace. When an employee truly trusts and can identify with your brand, they will stand up for it and put out their best work. Clients and customers, on the other hand, are more willing to work with a company that has a strong, well-strategized brand, than one that looks thrown together.
- Lastly, a good brand sells. (As does this reason.)
Be sure to check out Brandingmag’s post for more reasons on why branding is so important.
The bottom line is, a brand is absolutely necessary. It doesn’t matter whether you have $1 or a million, there is no way to win if you don’t have a brand.
Here’s a scenario for you:
Let’s say you are a brand new, locally owned business. You definitely don’t have tens of thousands of dollars ready to put into your brand. But you are invested in making the most out of what you have. If this is closer to your situation, the best decision right now may be to brand your business by yourself.
Be careful, though. This is by no means the easier option of the two. In doing it yourself, you will have to familiarize yourself with basic concepts of branding, design, social media and so much more. Sure, you will save loads of money, but you will need to work overtime to get your branding finished.
Branding is more than just a logo. It’s a personality.
In all honesty, the best place to start is to google. Find yourself a number of reliable and in-depth resources on branding guides, social media strategy, website design, and anything else you would like to create for your business.
Gather a team and put together a binder outlining all aspects of your brand. Continue to iron out every last detail until you are happy with the results. After that, we recommend tweaking and adapting your designs and layouts based off of your website or social media analytics.
After all your hard work and dedication to the brand you created, you will probably end up with something that works pretty great. Once you are in a good place financially, consider meeting with professionals to officially brand your business.
A professional will be able to take what you have created and maximize it to help you achieve the highest levels of efficiency and profit.
Whatever you decide, here are a few rules:
- If you are doing it yourself, don’t take the job lightly. A brand that looks thrown together will turn people away.
- If you are looking to brand professionally, be sure to find an agency that truly fits with your company. If you and your branding agency don’t click, you are going to have a long road ahead of you.
- Your branding will tank if you do not have a deep understanding of your business, its purpose, and your goals and values. You need to figure those out with your team beforehand.
If you would like to know more about branding a business, check out this blog post.
