Do-It-Yourself Branding Basics

Branding gurus would like people to think there’s a secret formula rocket science behind establishing a brand. But, there isn’t. If you follow some simple basics, you too can ensure that you have a solid branding strategy.

Don’t spend an entire annual budget on corporate identity and advertising standards manuals- especially if you’re a small business that’s just getting started. In general, you don’t need these tools until the organization has grown in scope to the extent that you need this information communicated to multiple entities and marketing people handling your marketing communications materials.

Save your money for materials that will spread the word about your company and offerings- and a professional-looking logo. There are plenty of freelance graphic artists in the market that will create a logo at a very reasonable cost. Many of them can be found online with a simple search.

The most simple rule of thumb in do-it-yourself branding is: Keep everything consistent. Business cards, letterhead, website, envelopes should all have the same fonts, logo usage, coloring. Product or service campaigns may have their own theme, but your overall collateral materials should be consistent in style and feel.

A company logo should be the same whether it’s in a campaign or advertising. For example, if a logo is green and black on your brochure, it should not be purple and fuchsia in other materials. Why is this important? As people see your brand repeated, it sticks in their minds. Consistency is key in building this recognition.

Take an hour and do a simple branding/corporate identity exercise:

Grab all the different marketing materials you have. Here is a list that might help: logo, business cards, website, letterhead, envelopes, brochures, folders, flyers, note cards, note pads, booklets, sales sheets, binders, sticky notes, mail labels, return address labels, and books.

Once you have them together in once place, look at them and ask yourself:

Are they all consistent in look and feel?
Do the font, color, and style match? If yes, fabulous! If not, how are they different? Decide what brings the most consistency and put together a plan to get them updated. Many times you’ll only have one or two pieces that really need changed.

Doing this simple branding exercise will help you keep your brand consistent while keeping costs down.