How to Brand Your Business on a Budget: A 6-Step Guide

In marketing, it seems like the word "brand" is used a lot -- the leading brand, off-brand, personal brand ... you get the picture.

But there's often confusion around its meaning in business. What does it entail? Do I need to hire an expert? Branding is expensive, right?

To that very last point, it doesn't have to be. As it turns out, there are some pretty creative ways to brand your business without a ton of cash. And while it can require an investment of time, the ROI won't go unnoticed -- in some cases, it can actually help you save money.New Call-to-action

 

So read on, and see how you can start building a brand today.

1) Know your personas.

How to Brand Your Business on a Budget: A 6-Step Guide

It’s no coincidence that 82% of companies with better value propositions also use buyer personas -- the semi-fictional “characters” that encompass the qualities of who you’re trying to reach.

The needs, goals, and behavior of your potential customers dictate how you convey your product or service. Understanding those things helps you determine what kind of media your personas are consuming, what motivates them, and where they “live” online. You can see why having that information helps develop a compelling, effective brand -- it helps you reach the right people.

Figuring that out doesn’t have to come at a price. A great way to get started is with our free MakeMyPersona tool, which guides you through a series of questions about the ideal person you want to reach. Take your time with it. The questions are meant to get you thinking about how you want to be perceived and by whom -- and that shouldn't be a quick process.

2) Develop an identity and a voice.

Once you’ve identified your buyer personas, your brand can start to take shape. That involves creating a brand identity -- the things that make people aware of what your brand is -- and its voice, which is the tone you use in any copy or public communication.

As a writer, I'm particularly interested in the voice aspect -- but what does that like for you? Figuring that out follows a process not unlike the one that’s used to determine your personas. But instead of answering questions about your target audience, you’re answering questions that are a bit more introspective to your brand. What are its values? What does it represent? How do you want people to talk about you? (Check out our guide to answering these questions and more on brand voice here.)

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