Entrepreneurial Branding Boston MA

Is branding dead? Some people would have you think so. But these days good branding may actually be more important than ever!

Why? Because your prospects are making decisions about whether or not they want to stay on your website - or buy from you - in a split second.

A powerful brand that's aimed right at your ideal client or customer can stop them in their tracks and convince them to stick around. A lame brand gets ignored and forgotten quickly when there are millions of other tempting links to click on.

All this doesn't mean you need to go out and spend thousands of dollars on fancy graphics and web design. But it does mean you need to take a step back and think about what your brand says about your business now - and whether or not that's what you want it to say.

Keep in mind, a brand isn's just a pretty logo or a website. It's communicated by everything from your logo and website, to your clothes to the way your phone is answered.

It's the promises you make to your clients. The way your website makes them feel on first glance. Your professionalism. And much, much more than that! 

Below are five things every entrepreneur needs to know to create a powerful brand:

1. Hit Them Right Between the Eyes

The key to great branding lies in hitting your target market right between the eyes. In other words, you need a well thought-out plan for creating the right impression with the right audience (the smaller, more niche the market the easier this is to accomplish). Then make sure you create that impression consistently with everything you do.

2. Be Specific with What You Want

A killer brand doesn't have to cost a fortune. One of the biggest, and most expensive, mistakes entrepreneurs make is expecting their designer to come up with their brand for them. This typically results in many rounds of drafts while they (and you) struggle to figure out what you want. 

Time is money. The more you know about what you want, the cheaper it'll be to create it. So the more specific you can be when you hire a designer, the better.

3. Let Them Know What You Do

The name says it all. The best business names let people know at a glance what you offer and who you offer to. Think about it...Turning Point Consulting could be anything. As could Thompson Specialists. 

Escape from Cubicle Nation, on the other hand, makes a huge benefit promise and lets you know who it's aimed at right away. The Unchained Entrepreneur does much the same, and so does Get Known Now.

4. Select the Right Font

Fonts create the feel. What type of font best represents you and your business? Not sure? Look at lots of other businesses (other than your direct competition) and see what fonts they use, and more importantly what impression those fonts give you. 

Check out fonts used for kids toys versus lawyer's offices versus high tech gadgets and you'll quickly notice some trends. Then choose a basic direction based on these examples and how you want to be perceived (techy...