There is a lot to consider if you're starting a new business, and one of the most important things to think about is branding your business. Here are some things to get you thinking in the right direction.

What is Branding?

When you hear the word "branding" you might immediately think of a logo, but branding is actually much more than that. Branding stretches across logo, letterhead, website, advertising, etc., and encompasses your entire business identity. Effective branding communicates who you are, your purpose and your values, and distinguishes your business from others in the same field, area or market.

Defining Your Business

To plan an effective brand, you need to define certain things about your business first.

The name of your business is obviously an important thing to define. It should be something simple and easy to remember, something that tells what your business is. If you're opening up an online boutique that sells children's clothing, choosing a name like "Baby's Closet" would give people a good idea of what your business is about. If you're a professional photographer, branding your own name is very effective.

You also need to define what your business is, and what it is not. What is your business' purpose? What are your business' values? Be specific. If you're a professional photographer, don't just define your business as "professional photography." What kind of professional photography? Do you specialize in weddings? Maybe you prefer natural light photography. Whatever it is, spell it out in detail. Know exactly what your business includes, as well as what it does not include. Generalizing the purpose of your business can cause a lack of focus, making it unclear to your potential customers what you're all about.

Next, identify your audience or customer base. Who will be purchasing your products or services? Who do you want to purchase your products or services? If you have an online custom wedding invitation boutique, your primary audience/customer base is going to be brides-to-be. If you're a local photographer, your primary audience/customer base is going to be people living in your area. Identify your audience, and then take it a step further and try to define how you want your audience to perceive your business. Do you want them to view your business as trustworthy, traditional, trend-setting, luxurious?

Creating Your Brand

Like I said above, your logo is not your brand, although it plays an important part. No, your brand is an idea that spans across all aspects of your business and identifies you to your customer base. Ideally, your brand eventually gives you instant recognition, sets you apart from others in your market, and even creates trust in your products or services. The key to acheiving this is to effectively translate all the things you've defined about your business--your name, your purpose, your values--into a graphic representation that speaks to your audience or customer base. Your logo is a primary factor in this, and sets the tone for the rest of your branding. Your logo should be something simple and unique that includes text identifying your business name, and possibly a graphic representation (or "mark") of something that communicates what your business does and/or what your business values. The next step is consistent use of your logo, business name, logo mark (if available), and even your chosen colors across all aspects of your business--from business cards and letterhead to your website--help to solidify your brand in your audience's mind.