Original posted date: May 30, 2023 Updated on: April 2, 2024
When it comes to businesses, it is important to consider the impact of brand identity and awareness. Statistics from edelman.com states “81 percent of consumers said that they need to be able to trust the brand in order to buy from them” Therefore, in order for businesses to succeed, they must build trust with their audience through efficient branding practices. However, developing a strong brand identity can be a complex task, so Sophie Newman of Florida Winter Marketing advises you to ask yourself several questions:
What do you want to be known for?
Who do you best serve?
What is the story only YOU can tell?
When answering these questions you need to keep in mind that being authentic is key! Being authentic is the fastest route to being trusted by consumers.
80% of consumers said “authenticity of content” is the most influential factor in their decision to become a follower of a brand.
After you answer those three questions and begin to have an understanding of the “feel” or mission of your business the question now becomes ~ how can I get people to see this in my business?
The answer is in the 8 Elements of Brand Identity.
To develop your visual brand identity you need to make sure you have the 8 elements covered. According to learn.g2.com the 8 Elements of brand identity are:
- Name
- Logo
- Colors
- Slogan
- Image
- Shape
- Graphics
- Typography
Let’s break each of these elements down.
Name: If you’re starting a new business, one of the first things you need to do is come up with a name. This can be a daunting task, but it’s important to take the time to do it right. After all, your business name is one of the first things potential customers will see and it will be a key part of your branding.
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a name for your business. First, you want it to be reflective of what your company is and what you do. Second, it’s important to make sure the name is easy to remember and pronounce. And lastly, you’ll want to make sure the domain name is available so you can have a website and email.
If you already have a business name – that’s fantastic! However, if you’re not seeing the desired results in reaching your target audience, it might be worth ensuring that your business name aligns well with your brand. Even though changing your business name is a large task it might make sense for where you are at in your small business journey. Check out this article by havesubstance.com to get an idea if changing your business name is the right fit for you. If you do think it is a good idea to change your business name TheZebra.com put together a fantastic check list and guide to changing your business name and you can read it HERE.
Logo: As a former graphic designer, I cannot stress enough the importance of having a great logo. Your logo is one of the first things that potential customers will see, and you want to make sure it is simple, recognizable, and unique. If you already have a logo but don’t love it, you can always change it and do a brand revision. Taking the time to ensure that your logo is high-quality – it will pay off in the long run.
Colors: When it comes to branding, one of the most important aspects is color. Studies have shown that using a signature color can increase brand recognition by up to 80 percent. That’s because colors have the ability to set the mood of your brand. When choosing colors for your brand, it’s important to pick a theme and stick with it. This will make your brand and your social media feeds cohesive. You want people to see your content and know that it is coming from you before they even see your business name!
Slogan: Your slogan is an important part of your company’s identity. It should accurately reflect your company’s mission and values, but be short and memorable. An effective slogan will help customers quickly understand what your company does and why they should choose you over your competitors. When creating your slogan, make sure it is clear and easy to understand. Also, consider how it will look on your marketing materials. A good slogan will be an asset to your company’s branding and help you attract new customers.
Image: As stated by 8 Ways Media, it takes about 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for people to form an opinion about your website! YIKES! So, you want your images to be great! Your images are similar to color in that you want your images or photos to be cohesive. So, you can either do your own photoshoot to get your “look” down or pick stock photos that have the same look or feel to them. If you need help with this check out our workshop on How to Photograph Like a Pro HERE.
Shape: This is for businesses with products. When it comes to creating a memorable and recognizable brand, the shape of your product can play a significant role in capturing the attention of potential customers. By crafting a distinctive and visually appealing shape for your product, you can set it apart from the competition, particularly when it’s displayed among other items on store shelves. The shape of a product can serve as a powerful visual cue, allowing consumers to form a connection with your brand and making it easier for them to recognize and remember your products. Ultimately, a unique or eye-catching shape can contribute to reinforcing your brand identity and leaving a lasting impression on consumers.
Graphics: Consistency is key when it comes to graphics. Just like your images and colors, you’ll want your graphics to remain cohesive and reflective of your brand. Incorporating your brand colors and logo into your graphics is essential for maintaining a unified and professional appearance. By adhering to these design principles, you can effectively communicate your brand’s message and values through visually appealing and harmonious graphics. Additionally, integrating the 8th element of brand identity, Typography, into your graphics further enhances brand recognition and reinforces the overall visual identity of your brand.
Typography: Your typography, or the fonts you use for your brand, are an important part of your overall identity. Your logo likely uses one or two specific fonts, but you don’t have to limit yourself to those fonts for all of your branding. Instead, you can choose a few fonts that work well together and use them consistently across all of your branding. This will help create a strong, cohesive look for your brand.
As stated before, we urge you to include your logo on any content or graphics you make. Nevertheless, when using content from someone else, don’t forget to give credit to the creator. Not only is this the ethical thing to do, but it can also save you from serious legal repercussions. Someone definitely put in a lot of hard work in creating that material – it would be wrong to take it without permission. If you get an idea from someone else, mention them in your graphic or tag them while sharing the post. Doing so not only shows respect and appreciation for their effort but also gives them brand recognition, which may result in their followers checking out your posts as well! Embracing good etiquette offers a win-win situation for everyone involved!
If it isn’t clear, the obvious theme with brand identity is staying consistent. Consistent presentation of a brand has seen to increase revenue by 33 percent according to Lucidpress! You want your colors, images, and graphics to have a feel that represents the mission you created for your business. You want to make sure that these are used throughout all of your channels and social media platforms, so no matter how someone finds your business it all looks like YOUR brand!
We know that this can all be a lot to take in. So we made a simple checklist for you use to make sure you are utilizing all the brand identity elements in your brand. To download the checklist click the button or image below!
We have an additional bonus freebie to help you get started with your designs!! Let us begin by saying we do highly suggest getting a professional graphic designer for your logo and images for your website, but we know that hiring a graphic designer for all your social media posts is not in everyone’s budget. That is why we are big fans of canva.com. They make it super easy to make beautiful content with there templates. Now for the FREEBIE! WCE has created a quote graphic template for you! Once you click on it you will be taken to Canva. If you do not have an account with Canva it will ask you to create a free one. Once you do that you will be able to change the colors and add your logo, website and whatever else you need to do to it to make the graphic YOURS! You can download a template we made for you HERE or by clicking the quote image below!
If you have never used Canva or not sure how to load your brand colors and logo or use any of the other great features on Canva you check out our Canva Workshops lead by Media Jasmin! Design Like a Pro: A Canva Workshop 1 can be found HERE and Design Like a Pro: A Canva Workshop 2 can be found HERE.
We really hope this helps, along with our Canva Workshops we have other amazing workshops to help you become the best business owner can! Our upcoming workshops can be found by clicking here. And all of our past workshops can be found here. Make sure to browse our articles for more free downloads and other tips and tricks. And please don’t forget to join or FREE facebook group where you can connect with other entrepreneurs, share experiences, and promote their businesses.
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