{"id":12154,"date":"2022-09-12T10:24:56","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T10:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1391233"},"modified":"2022-09-12T10:24:56","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T10:24:56","slug":"heres-how-to-build-a-solid-brand-for-your-startup-for-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=12154","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how to build a solid brand for your startup for free"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You put your blood, sweat, and tears into building an amazing product that\u2019ll solve your customers\u2019 problems and blow the competition away. The problem is: no one knows about it.<\/p>\n

Sound familiar?<\/p>\n

You can spend all the time you want on product development, but without a well-defined brand, you\u2019ll struggle to catch the eye of customers and investors, or stand out against competitors.<\/p>\n

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Psst…<\/h2>\n

Get a weekly dose of entrepreneurial insights from TNW’s founder Boris<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The question is, where do you start? You need more than a business card to get started in the big wide business world. Think: a logo, website, and popping social media presence.<\/p>\n

Are you panicking because you don\u2019t have a full time designer yet? Not to worry. Marketing<\/a> platforms, design<\/a> tools, and online tutorials have made it easier for startups to build an attractive brand with low or absolutely no budget.<\/p>\n

We spoke with two experts at Vista Create<\/a>, an easy-to-use graphic design platform for startup<\/a>s and SMEs, about how businesses can create their own branding, even if they don\u2019t have a designer on the team.<\/p>\n

Sleuth your way to success<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before you start comparing Pantone colors (can anyone actually see the difference between peacock and ocean blue?), you need to find a benchmark. What are your competitors doing? How about your customers? What\u2019s your market\u2019s unique approach to branding?<\/p>\n

Sandra Iakovleva, Head of Content at VistaCreate, recommends doing a deep dive into your competitors\u2019 internet behavior.<\/p>\n

\u201cPay attention to the way they talk about their product or service, how they look, and how people talk about the brand,\u201d Iakovleva says. \u201cThen note where they get the most engagement, so you can replicate some of that success.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to decide which social media platforms you need a presence on, before you start designing. Iakovleva has a word of advice for figuring that out:<\/p>\n

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Find out where your target audience hangs out online, how they consume their content, and how you can best reach them. Most importantly, know what you\u2019ll be doing differently from your competitors to attract that audience.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Figure out your brand DNA <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Your brand DNA doesn\u2019t require a swab, but it does require that you get a little granular about the essence of your business identity. Oksana Tunikova, Brand Manager at VistaCreate, has a simple framework for figuring this out:<\/p>\n

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You need to define the following elements: vision (what you aspire to achieve), mission: (what you exist to do every day), positioning: (how you\u2019re different from all the rest), personality: (what emotions your brand evokes and what language it speaks), and values (what you believe). This is what helps build emotional connection with your audience.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Your brand has to be clear and recognizable, not just to your audience, but to the sales team building decks, developers creating your website, and the many interns who will also be creating assets for your team. Tunikova suggests creating a brand book to ensure, no matter who\u2019s creating content, it\u2019ll always maintain the same brand essence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be 100 pages long,\u201d Tunikova assures. \u201cIn some cases, a 10 page PDF will do the job. Just make sure it clearly defines guidelines on visual communication (brand color palette, versions of the logo, brand fonts<\/a>), and verbal communication (tone of voice). Once you have these rules outlined \u2013 stick to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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