How to turn your start-up into a valuable brand

How to turn your start-up into a brand

Brands aren't built overnight. The most successful brands put a lot of effort and money into creating a brand.

If you've big ambitions, then getting started on building your business as a brand should be on your to-do list. The good news is that you can start small and, with relatively little outlay, start to organically create a brand that grows as your business does.

1. Start with the customer

Successful brands deliver an excellent customer experience. Customers enjoy buying from brands that treat them well. Invest in staff training and set out how to deal with customers. From service at the till to how your employees deal with customer complaints, ensure your customers are treated fairly, quickly and positively.

2. Create brand values

What does your business stand for? What does it stand against? Why should customers believe in your business? What makes your business different from just being a company that people buy things from? Write down a list of the values that your start-up will live by. These can be values such as a commitment to the environment or always treating customers with respect. These are your brand values. You can share these with your employees, customers and suppliers. They should govern how your business operates, such as always buying renewable energy or sourcing local produce.

3. Tell your story

People relate better to other people than to faceless businesses. Put a human face to your business and tell your start-up story. You could include details on your website about how and why you started your business, record a video about what your business does, and show your team in action on social media. Explaining what your business does, the people behind it and the brand values you believe in will help bring the story of your start-up to life and provide plenty of hooks for customers to relate to you and your brand.

4. Aim for uniqueness

Being unique is easier said than done. New brands can take a refreshingly different approach, zigging when other companies are zagging. However, brands that stand out often go against the grain of similar established businesses. A great example of brands that have done things differently are budget airlines. Easyjet's bright orange branding, cheap seats and lack of frills for example differentiated it from established airlines, creating a recognisable brand that quickly won customers.

5. Be emotional

Successful brands build an emotional relationship with customers. That doesn't mean your start-up needs to tug at a customer's heartstrings - emotional responses can range from positive, happy, joyful and excited through to surprised and admiring. You can start creating an emotional connection through small changes. Using more everyday, informal language in your marketing materials can help people relate to your business. Including handwritten 'thank you' notes can surprise and delight customers. Sponsoring a good cause, such as Tesco supporting Cancer Research's Race For Life, can show your brand in a whole different light.

6. Visibility matters

Your start-up may have incredible brand values, wonderful customer service and a unique way of doing things, but it counts for little if potential customers don't know about it. Make sure your brand is visible. Share your successes - and failures - on social media to show a human side to your business. Be consistent about brand elements - the language you use, logo design, brand colours - so customers see a joined-up brand across different channels.