Your brand’s first impression with potential clients is crucial, but how do you get it right from day one?
You’re embarking on a new business venture — congratulations! Or you’re taking your B2B brand seriously for the first time! Either way, you’re delving into the exciting process of brand building and looking for where to start.
From the beginning, it’s essential to invest in what your company looks and sounds like in your client communications, marketing materials, and sales collateral to grab clients’ attention and differentiate yourself from the competition.
Building your brand is an iterative journey. As your company grows, your brand should be a cornerstone that orients all of your activities around your mission and values. Additionally, it should align with any shifts in culture or objectives as your company evolves.
Building a B2B brand is no easy feat — but fear not! There’s no need to embark on a six-month branding exercise or account for every possible application at this stage. Instead, pay attention to these key areas to steer you in the right direction from the start.
1) Create a Clear Brand Identity
Consumers are swimming in a sea of similar products and services, so you must set yourself apart. Your brand will engage with humans naturally driven by emotion, including B2B consumers whose decision-making process is more multi-faceted and collaborative. To break through the noise, your brand must establish trust.
The million dollar question is “How!?!?”
First, understand who you are as a business and how you can convey that identity and those values to prospective consumers. Aim to:
- Analyze how consumers react to your work
- Ask employees their thoughts about the business environment and culture
- Establish ways to curate an online presence that demonstrates your brand’s value
2) Reimagine Your Company Through the Lens of Your Brand
A brand isn’t just a shiny logo; it’s the essence of your company’s being. And for B2B consumers, a robust brand matters. Having solid branding can help companies outperform others by more than 20%. Let’s explore the key elements you need:
- Values: Define values that give your businesses a human dimension and evokes feelings of honesty and confidence from B2B consumers.
- Mission & Vision Statements: Vision statements drive accountability to a central goal, while mission statements provide a visible roadmap guiding your business towards that goal. Making your mission and vision transparent to consumers shows you’re focused on fulfilling their needs.
- Voice & Tone Guidelines: Pay attention to what your company wants to say and how you communicate that to consumers — this makes the difference between being relatable and coming across as a faceless organization.
- Logos: About 63% of people say a poorly designed logo harms a brand, so be intentional about its design. Color, size, simplicity, relevancy, and longevity are essential points to consider in the process, as your logo is the face of your brand!
- Core Visual Elements: A style guide helps your brand stay consistent in its communication efforts. Signature fonts, color schemes, imagery, and graphic layouts are key to maintaining your brand’s persona.
- Websites: Watch your company’s visual and written elements combine with a captivating website to reach prospects. Your site doesn’t need to be perfect, as you will regularly revamp it.
- Social Media Channels: Social media is the best tool for expanding your brand’s storytelling capabilities with videos, behind-the-scenes footage, Q&As, and more to show your audience you’re present.
Build Your Brand with Thunderfoot
Building a strong B2B brand creates growth opportunities, and at Thunderfoot, we excel in helping brands thrive. Our collaborative team of designers, marketers, and creatives knows what it means to build a powerful brand from the ground up. Check out how we built a successful international eye care brand in 90 days that drove a 122% increase in booked services.
Interested in seeing us in action? Let’s talk about how we can transform your brand to stand out from the competition and drive customers to your doors.