Did you know that nearly five and a half million new business applications were filed in 2021 in the United States?
In a year of continued hardship and economic uncertainty, many people decided to pursue their dreams of small business ownership.
If you’re one of these many new entrepreneurs, you probably already have a brand idea in mind. However, did you know that there are specific steps involved in successfully building a brand? How do you know whether you’re on the right track?
Here, we’ve laid out a few key considerations to keep in mind when growing a brand. Keep reading to make sure you have these fundamentals covered in your brand strategy.

Know Who You Are
The first step in building a brand is knowing who your company is and what it stands for. This includes having a keen understanding of the solution that your product or service provides to your customers, but it’s also so much more than that.
These days, consumers expect to connect with the brands they buy from on their values. They want to have a personal relationship with your company, and they use your brand to determine your company’s “personality.”
Does your company value inclusivity at all levels of the business? Do you focus on sustainable production processes? Are you invested in offering the highest-quality product at the lowest possible cost?
Figure out what your company believes in and how this is unique within your field or industry. Build your brand on this foundation.
Consistency Is Key
Once you’ve developed your company’s values, use these to inform the messaging that you share with consumers.
Create a logline, advertising messaging, and online content that supports these values. Figure out the tone that best communicates these values (is your brand casual? friendly? serious?) and imbue that in all your messaging. Choose a logo and brand colors that also support this tone.
After choosing these brand elements, don’t change them! While you may need to do a brand refresh down the line, doing this too soon can create confusion in your customer base. Maintain consistency so that your customers can gain familiarity with who you are as a brand.
Get Your Brand Out There
Now that you have all your brand elements in place, it’s time to share them with your audience!
Update your website and social media profiles with these brand elements. Create a personalized email signature block for all your employees. Ask for partnerships or buy advertising space with other brands so that their customers can see your brand as well.
As important as digital branding is, don’t forget the power of branded products. Apparel, mugs, and other branded swag integrate your company’s branding into the fabric of your customers’ lives. See for yourself how branded swag can be a powerful tool for building a brand.
Take Your Brand Ideas Further
These three considerations are just the beginning of developing your brand idea. Once you have these branding basics down, take it further with your own creative ideas. Your customers will love your uniqueness, and you’ll stand out from your competition!
Looking for more advice on building your startup? Check out the other articles on our site!
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