How to Build a Brand in 7 Steps

If you stick your toe in the digital marketing waters, you’ll see “branding this” and “branding that” in conversations across the web. The problem is that many businesses don’t really understand what a brand is or how to start building one.

Sound like a familiar concern? Don’t worry, you’re certainly not alone—and the Wahha Design team is here to help. Branding building is one of our core skills, and we love sharing our knowledge with companies like yours.

For the sake of simplicity, we encourage you to start by picturing your “brand” as your creative presence. Who are you? What do you do? What are you about, and how does that come across to your target audience – both online and offline?

Building a well-crafted brand sets you apart from competitors. Without one, you run the risk of blending in with the crowd and losing valuable conversions.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur launching a startup or a small business owner looking to refine your brand, this blog will guide you through essential steps to create a brand that resonates and stands out in your respective market.

Let’s dive in!

1. Define Your Brand Purpose and Values

At the heart of every successful brand lies a clear purpose and a set of values that guide its actions. In a sense, your brand needs a moral compass.

Your brand purpose is the “why” behind your business—the reason you exist beyond making a profit. It’s what drives your decisions and inspires your audience. Think about what your business stands for and how it contributes to the world.

To define your brand purpose, start by asking yourself what problems your business solves and what impact you want to have on your customers and the community.

Once you have a clear purpose, identify the core values that shape your brand’s behavior and messaging. These values should align with your brand purpose and be reflected in everything you do, from your marketing materials to customer interactions.

For example, Patagonia is a brand with a strong purpose centered around environmental sustainability. Their values, such as environmental stewardship and social responsibility, are evident in their products, campaigns, and corporate culture.

Clearly defining your brand purpose and values allows you to create a foundation that guides your brand’s growth and builds trust with your audience. After all, every company needs a Jiminy Cricket guiding them toward long-term success.

2. Research Your Target Audience and Market

When building a brand, we cannot understate how important it is to understand YOUR target audience. You wouldn’t walk into a job interview knowing nothing about a company, would you? The same level of preparation and research should go into reaching your audience!

Market research helps you identify who your customers are, what they need, and how your brand can meet those needs. This knowledge allows you to tailor your branding efforts to attract and reach the right audience.

Start by conducting thorough research to gather insights into your target audience’s demographics, preferences, and behaviors. Use tools like surveys, focus groups, and social media analytics to collect data.

Additionally, we recommend analyzing your competitors to understand their strengths and weaknesses, then identify gaps in the market your brand can fill.

For example, is your brand more affordable? More customizable? Less pretentious or elitist? Capitalize on these unique strengths, and remember: your competitor’s audience might not be your exact audience.

3. Create a Unique Brand Identity

Your brand identity goes beyond debating philosophical ideas and audience desires. It also encompasses the visual and verbal expression of your brand, including everything from your name and logo to your color palette and tone of voice.

A strong brand identity is distinctive, memorable, and consistent across all touchpoints. We could spend all day talking about this, but here are some of the key elements to consider upfront:

What’s Your Name?

Choosing a name is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. It should be memorable, easy to pronounce, and reflective of your brand’s essence.

Consider using creative techniques like combining words, using metaphors, or inventing a new word to make your brand name stand out. In our experience, these are some of the best methods for name generation, but be careful about overcomplicating it. Simplicity is valuable.

What’s Your Logo?

A well-designed logo is a powerful symbol of your brand. It should be simple, versatile, and recognizable at a glance. Your logo will appear on everything from your website to your product packaging, so we recommend investing in a one-of-a-kind design that truly represents your brand.

According to Custom Neon’s survey, 1 in every 4 adults (25%) are more likely to buy from a business whose branding or logo is familiar to them. Make sure yours is one they’ll remember, appreciate, and respect.

Oh, and a word of advice: work with a professional designer. It might seem easy to create a winning logo with little experience, but there is a lot of thought, creativity, and expertise involved.

What Do You Look Like?

Colors and fonts play a significant role in conveying your brand’s personality. In fact, research by the University of Loyola found that color increases brand recognition by up to 80%. Think Mcdonald’s gold and red or Facebook blue!

For typography, select fonts that are easy to read and complement your brand’s aesthetic. Then, keep these fonts consistent across all marketing materials and content to ensure your brand is easily identifiable.

How Do You Sound?

Your brand voice is how you communicate with your audience, while your tone is the emotional inflection of that communication.

Whether your brand is friendly, professional, or authoritative, maintaining a consistent voice and tone across all platforms is key to building a cohesive brand identity.

Brands like Apple and Nike have mastered the art of creating distinctive identities. Apple’s minimalist design and clean typography reflect its innovative and user-friendly products, while Nike’s bold logo and empowering messaging resonate with athletes and fitness enthusiasts worldwide.

4. Develop a Brand Story

A compelling brand story is more than just a narrative—it’s a way to connect with your audience on an emotional level. Your brand story should convey your purpose, values, and journey in a way that resonates with your audience.

Start by outlining the key events that led to the creation of your brand, the challenges you faced, and the successes you’ve achieved. Make sure your story aligns with your brand values and reflects your commitment to your customers.

As an example, consider the brand Warby Parker. This eyewear company was founded by four friends who were frustrated with the high cost of glasses. They discovered that a few companies monopolized the industry, leading to inflated prices.

As a result, Warby Parker’s story centers around their mission to offer stylish, high-quality glasses at an affordable price while also giving back through their “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” program, where they donate a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair sold.

This narrative not only addresses a real problem but also resonates with customers who value both affordability and social responsibility, making it a powerful and relatable brand story.

So, ask yourself: what is YOUR brand’s story, why should people care about it, and how will you tell it?

5. Establish Your Brand’s Online Presence

You can have an incredibly solid brand identity, but if it’s not present online, then does it really matter? Your website, social media profiles, and content marketing efforts all contribute to how your brand is perceived online.

Website

Your website is the cornerstone of your online presence. It should be visually appealing, easy to navigate, and reflective of your brand identity. Ensure your website provides a seamless user experience and clearly communicates your brand’s value proposition.

In many cases, this means working with a professional web design team that can bring your vision to life through a well-oiled, highly functional website.

Social Media

Social media platforms offer a unique opportunity to engage with your audience and build brand awareness. Choose platforms that align with your target audience and create content that is consistent with your brand’s voice and values.

According to Sprout Social, over half (51%) of the most memorable brands on social actively respond to customers. Roughly a third prioritize engaging directly with their audience versus publishing a lot of content.

In other words, if you want to be remembered, make your brand known and work on building genuine relationships.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is an influential way to reinforce your brand message and provide value to your audience. Create blogs, videos, and other content that aligns with your brand values and addresses your audience’s needs.

You’ve heard that content is king, and although that’s a bit of a cliche in 2024, it’s true. Consistent, high-quality content helps establish your brand as an authority in your industry.

6. Implement a Consistent Brand Strategy

Your brand’s image, voice, and message should be uniform across all channels and touchpoints. This consistency builds trust with your audience and makes your brand more recognizable.

Just recently, Capital One stated that 33% of businesses report brand consistency helps them boost revenue by 20% or more. People like to shop with and support cohesive, professional brands.

To maintain consistency, develop clear brand guidelines that outline how your brand should be represented in all forms of communication. Ensure all employees and stakeholders understand and adhere to these guidelines.

Additionally, we recommend regularly reviewing your brand strategy to ensure it remains aligned with your brand purpose and values.

7. Monitor and Evolve Your Brand

Last but not least on our list, we want to remind you that brand building is not a one-time effort—it’s an ongoing process. To keep your brand relevant and effective, monitor its performance and make adjustments as needed.

Track your brand’s performance using tools like customer feedback, social media analytics, and market research. Pay attention to how your brand is perceived by your audience and identify areas for improvement.

As your business grows or market conditions change, be prepared to evolve your brand to meet new challenges and opportunities. Evolving your brand doesn’t mean abandoning your core values, but rather adapting to stay relevant while staying true to your brand’s essence.

In Summary

Building a strong and lasting brand requires dedication, creativity, and strategic planning. By following these seven steps, you can create a brand that resonates with your audience and stands out in the market.

Start implementing these steps today to build a brand that not only attracts customers but also fosters long-term loyalty. Need a little more guidance or support? Well, that’s what we’re here to offer.

Build a Brand With Wahha Design

We’re a digital marketing agency with a passion for transforming vague ideas into actionable plans and booming online businesses. Our team has turned branding into an art, and we’re committed to helping companies like yours solidify their stories, images, and digital presences.

Ready to get started? Contact us today.