Let's face it; it is high time you create your brand. You will benefit from it in the long run. Consumers are more open to using a new service from a familiar brand than a new one. That is why here at Plant, we place emphasis on managing and finetuning our brand. If you do not have one yet, I will advise you to create one.

For the uninitiated, a brand is the overall perception customers’ have on a business — including the uncontrollable ones. If you want your business to always ring a bell in your customers’ mind when they see anything related it, follow the steps below to create a brand that works perfectly with your business.

Define Your Target Audience

The first step toward creating a brand that resonates with your audience is to know who your audiences are. One of the biggest mistake people make in defining a brand is that they come up with generic branding in a bid to appeal to everyone that comes in contact with them. And I tell you what; you cannot cater to everyone.

You need to define your audience and come up with a user persona of your ideal customers. Only then will you be able to create a brand that will match your target audience. I will advise you to define their ideal age bracket, location, gender, level of education, social inclinations, and income level.

Let me define a user persona for a kid summer coding Bootcamp — John is an 8 years old elementary school student living in Los Angeles. He is the child of one of the startup founders at Silicon Valley. While there’s more we can add, let's keep it simple.

Choose a Name for Your Business

If you haven’t, you have to choose a name that is memorable, evergreen and sounds appealing to your target audience. What is in a business name you ask? Let me give you an analogy. An argument ensued on an online forum about if DuckDuckGo would ever overtake Google as the most used search engine. And one of the guys was stating that even if it ever happens, they will need to rebrand because he can’t imagine people saying; Just DuckDuckGo it.

People are already used to saying Google it instead of search it online. In fact, many people believe Google is the Internet. If you look at all the popular businesses, you will agree with me that their names are some of their greatest assets. If your business does not have a brandable name, get it one. For my Bootcamp example, I will name it “Kid Codes.”

Define Your Brand Mission Statement

What do you want to achieve with your business? You need to use that and create an impressionable imprint in the mind of your customer. I am sure anywhere you see the CocaCola logo, you feel the thirst of having some — if you are a fan. Let's take a look at a part of their mission statement — “To refresh the world in mind, body, and spirit.” And guess what, that’s what people feel anytime they drink their products. Their brand color will get you thirsty if you are their fan. That’s the power of branding.

Going back to our summer coding example above, I can decide to make it — “To equip young kids with the elementary coding skills required to move toward becoming professional software engineers.” When defining your brand mission, make sure you are not copying any of your competitors.

Come Up with a Slogan

Think Different — that’s one of Steve Jobs greatest quotes. Interestingly, it is Apple’s Slogan. Nike’s slogan is “Just Do it,” KFC’s is “Finger-Lickin’ Good,” and McDonald’s is known with the “I’m lovin’ it” slogan. What tagline do you want people to identify your business with? Whatever you choose, make sure it is short, memorable, and in line with your business.

For my coding lesson, “Building kids to become professional coders.” Do you remember what I stated earlier about creating a user persona? You will make sure any slogan or tagline you will use must tick all the box in the mind of your customer. That’s why you need to get your ideal customers persona correctly in the first place.

Choose Your Brand Color

Experts have revealed that color is one of the most powerful tools branding tool you can use. In case you do not know, colors affect the mood of humans. What do you think anytime you see green or red? I bet your mood isn’t the same. That’s why we have what is known as color psychology. If you have come across a book written on color psychology before, you will observe that certain colors have been found to resonate better with women. You have to take note of things like that. Unfortunately, it won’t be possible to discuss color theory and its psychology in this article — you have to learn that on your own.

Design Your Brand Logo

From the above, I am sure you have gotten everything you need to create a logo for your brand. You need to choose your fonts carefully. The same words written in different fonts can send different emotions to their viewers. Very important is that make sure you do not choose fonts that are too artistic except if you know what you are doing.

Also, make sure the logo is simple and in line with your brand. You will agree with me that using a girly logo for a male product-inclined business is a no-no.

Stick by It and Make Adjustment

Now that you have created your brand materials, it is time to manage it. You are supposed to stick by it in whatever things you do, to keep things consistent. However, your business branding is subject to change as your business grows and changes. When there’s a new change that needs to be incorporated, you have to do it. But if you ask me, I will tell you to minimize changing it to avoid looking like a non-focused brand.