How to Build Your Brand (infographic)

Last month's #AskTransmit session offered advice on how to build your brand. The advice, from Captivation Media, was so good that we decided to put together a little infographic to capture the headline points raised.

When many startups talk about branding they are just thinking about their company logo or business card, but your brand is about so much more than that. To me, branding is not just about the tangible or graphical elements of your business such as your business stationery, brochures, banners or website, it is about the intangible and emotional side of your business.

How you answer your phone or reply to an email when a prospect is enquiring about your service is all part of your branding. Do your employees all answer the phone in the same, professional manner? How many times does the phone ring before being picked up by a member of your team? When you tell a prospect that they will receive a quote within 24 hours, do they actually receive it within 24 hours, or does it sometimes happen within 36 or 48 hours?

These may not sound like big things but they all add up to how a prospect or customer perceives your business - that's what branding is all about, perception.

Other aspects covered in the infographic are salient points such as knowing your customer and finding your own tone of voice. It's very difficult to build a brand without knowing who your customers are in the first place. Who are they exactly? Where do they live/shop/socialise? Who do they currently buy from? What do they really want (not what you think they want)? Most businesses have a segmented target audience so break your potential customers down into as much details as possible and determine who your core target market is.

Your company's tone of voice it really important as it can set you apart from your competitors. As previously mentioned, how you answer your phone or reply to an email can be part of your tone of voice. So can your website copy, how you talk to people at networking events, and how you describe your product. Do you talk about the product features, or the customer benefits? Do you really need to take 5 minutes to describe your product, when 30 seconds will do?

Branding is a big topic and one that we will no doubt tackle again in another #AskTransmit session. In the meantime, our next session, which comprises of a open Q&A with an expert on Twitter, takes places on Tuesday 20th July, between 3pm and 4pm. Join us on Twitter using the #AskTransmit hashtag.

Click the infographic below to view it full size or download a PDF version.

Check out previous #AskTransmit sessions, 'How do I effectively market my startup?'.