Image Matters

Many small businesses think brands are for large, Fortune 500 companies.  However, every interaction you, as a business, have with a potential customer leaves an impression.  And, since customers may interact with your company many times without ever stepping foot in your store or contacting a salesperson, creating a professional image (or brand) for your business and consistently reinforcing this image across all marketing channels helps to ensure these impressions have a positive impact.

Create a Professional Logo

The primary elements of a brand are your company’s name and logo.  The visual anchor for your company’s brand is your company logo.  All marketing materials, your website design, letterhead, email newsletters, social media networks, etc. display your logo as a symbol of your company and what it stands for.  It does not need to be a creative work of art, however, your logo should:

• Clearly Identify Your Company
• Include a Brand Promise & Tagline (Condensed Version of Your Marketing Statement)
• Be Visually Appealing to Your Target Market
• Differentiate Your Company

There are many good resources you can turn to for logo design for your business.  Here are a couple we recommend:

http://www.logoworks.com
http://www.logomojo.com

Extend Your Brand Across All Marketing Materials & Channels

Using your logo as an anchor and guide, make sure to carry your company’s brand across all marketing elements, including:

Company Letterhead Business Cards Direct Mail Pieces Invoices Email Signatures Proposals

Email Newsletter Layout Website Design Attire (uniform) Vehicles Forms Advertisements

Set Identity Standards

Next, create a design standards document that includes your branding details.  This information should include: fonts used, text sizes, colors, logo use guidelines, etc.  Share this document with employees and vendors to help keep your brand and image consistent.