Your digital brand is something that you must get right from the very beginning. It is your personality and appearance rolled in one; it embodies your entire business. Negativity surrounding a brand can be potentially destructive, so continue reading for our top tips on how you can start a business, focusing on that right from the start.

Who are you?

While you are establishing your business, you will also be automatically building an idea of how you would like your potential clients to see you. It is essential to decide exactly what you want your business to be before embarking on any sort of campaign to gain customers. Consider what your mission statement is, what your values are and what are the most important things to you. Building firm foundations will support you in your mission to become successful in the long run.

Logo

Important for both digital and real-world branding, the logo is something that can make or break the look of a business. Opt for something created by an online designer and you run the risk of appearing cheap and unprofessional. Spend money on a top-quality artist, and you may find that your cash does not spread far enough when setting up your business. We advise you go for a happy medium. Approaching someone with a clear idea in mind is great as it can save too much creation time, allowing the designer to spend valuable (and costly!) time on the actual output. Be sure that you are clear on colors you prefer, the style of fonts to be used and any other non-negotiable items.

Website

To choose not to have a website is professional suicide. The vast majority of the younger generations actively engage in online searches in a bid to find the right companies with whom to work. Therefore, it is imperative that you have one, and it must be one that works well with an exceptionally well-designed landing page. If you are unsure, head over to the website of someone you would class as a competitor. Is the information well-organized, concise and easy to find? Does it look attractive and fits the business’ branding? Stick to colors that complement your logo and be sure to create content that fits your message, too. For example, if you wish to engage younger people, you will need to use language that appeals to that age range. Likewise, you must use the right visuals.

Content

By creating content for your own website or by guest posting on someone else’s, you have the opportunity to portray your business using your brand voice. It doesn’t have to be the hard sell like so many blog posts are. You could offer solutions to a problem that your target market tend to have or could offer to tell the story of ‘a day in the life of...’, telling people all of the things you get up to, thus sharing ways in which you are able to help.

Social Media

Just like having a website is a necessity, so is being on social media. There is a wide range of platforms available, but don’t feel as though you need to be on every single one. This approach can often lead to exhaustion and burnout with people opting to avoid social media altogether as it is too challenging to keep up with posting in so many ways. However, you may prefer to enlist the help of a social media agency who will help you to come up with a strategy that fits with your branding. Whatever you choose to do, ensure that only post things that fit with your ethos. Furthermore, when engaging with people on social media, such as Facebook (News - Alert), that you maintain a voice befitting of your company.

Advertising

There are many ways to advertise online these days. Previously, you would just pay for a banner on a website; it was simple. However, nowadays, you need to give things a bit more thought. Search engine ads are very popular, so you could pay to appear towards the top of search engine listings on Google (News - Alert), for example. Alternatively, you may prefer a targeted advertising approach using social media, such as Facebook, which allows you to specify who you would like to see your content. You could choose the gender, age, location, interests of your potential clients, for example. Retargeted ads are another popular option, with them focusing on people who have already searched for something, such as a new kettle on a search engine or looked at something on your Facebook page.