Develop Your Business “Street Sign!”
My son and I were out driving recently
and saw an unfamiliar street sign:
“What does that mean?” he asked.
I had no idea.
I swear I had never seen
that sign before…
and I told him so.
So, we did what anyone
would do in that situation.
We started guessing.
“Maybe it means you can do
a U turn when you get the signal,”
my son guessed.
“Maybe, but what would the signal be?”
I asked.
A green light?
An arrow?
Could go either way.
“Or maybe you just have
to signal and THEN you
can do a U turn,”
my son wagered.
“Maybe,” I agreed.
That also made sense.
The truth was, we had
NO IDEA what that sign meant.
We would need to look it up.
Or, more likely, we would
get home and forget all about it–
until we happened to see it again.
It’s the same with your business!
Your name.
Your logo.
Your tagline.
That’s your BRAND–
the “STREET SIGN”
of your whole business!
Investopedia defines Brand as
“a name, logo, word, mark,
tagline, or any other
identifying characteristic
that separates a company’s
product or service from
others on the market.¹”
In other words, your Brand,
at a glance, easily shows
people EXACTLY what your
business is all about!
Don’t make people Google
your business to
figure out who you are.
They won’t.
No one has time for that!
Instead, create a brand
that is memorable,
clear, and MEANINGFUL!
One that really makes your
business stand out!
Not sure where to start?
No worries!
Creating a unique
brand for your business,
one that really reflects who
and what your business
is all about, isn’t easy!
But it IS vitally important for
achieving visual recognition and
growth of your business!
And maintaining a consistent brand
across all your marketing channels
is KEY to the future success of your
business!
So, how can you develop
a strong brand?
Start by focusing on
3 main areas: Name, Logo,
and Tagline.
Let’s take a closer look:
1. NAME
Think about the name
of your business.
Is it catchy?
Is it boring?
Does it compliment
the services you provide?
What does it mean?
What does it stand for?
What do you want
people to think when
they read it?
Your business name will
be one of the most important
choices you make in
starting to create a brand
for your business–for now
and years to come.
Choose wisely!
2. LOGO
Do you have an eye-catching,
memorable logo
for your business?
A logo is defined as a graphic mark,
emblem, symbol or stylized name
used to identify a company.²
The Logo’s job is NOT to sell
your services, explain what
your business does, or
even WHAT your business IS!
The job of a logo is to
IDENTIFY your Business—
in a way that is memorable and
that can become familiar
to the public.³
When people see your logo,
you want them to instantly
think, “oh, that’s
so-and-so’s business.”
Without reading a word.
Without recognizing your picture.
Just by seeing your logo.
Wow.
That’s a big job for a tiny,
little picture!
Are you using your logo
to its full potential?
Is it hanging out on
your website,
but no where else?
You want that logo to be
as visible as possible—
in as many places as possible!
Place that logo in multiple
places in your newsletter.
Attach it to your LinkedIn profile.
Make it part of every
Business Facebook Post.
The more opportunities people
have to see your logo,
the more they’ll connect
it to your business.
And that’s a good thing!
3. TAGLINE
Have you ever seen an
ad but had no idea what they
were selling?
Or seen a business, but had
no idea what services they
provided⁴?
I have.
Frustrating, isn’t it?
Don’t let your business fall
into this trap–confusing the
public and your potential clients!
A strong tagline can help.
But what EXACTLY is
a business tagline?
Simply put, a tagline is a brief
explanation of what your
business does⁵
If your tagline is falling short, here
are a few tips to consider⁶:
- Keep it Short and Simple.
Short and easy-to-read
and understand is key–no one wants
to sift through business jargon, trying
to guess what your business actually does! - Tell a Story.
Whenever possible, create a
personal connection between your
business and the services you provide. - Clearly explain your offering.
Provide a simple explanation
of the services your business
provides–in clear,
easy-to-understand language. - Evolve with your company.
Don’t try to fit EVERYTHING into
your tagline–just find what describes
your company best!
Avoid a case of mistaken identity.
Avoid mass confusion.
Build a brand as unique as your
business!
Then share that brand as
far and wide as you can!
Create that newsletter.
Post on social media.
Connect on LinkedIn.
Be visible.
Be memorable.
Be uniquely YOU!
Go ahead and develop
the “Street Sign”
of YOUR business.
But drive carefully and
follow clear signs and
symbols–on the road AND
in your business!
See you on the trail,
Thank these great sources for the technical details in this article:
1. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brand.asp
2.https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/logo.asp
3. https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/logo
4.https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/10-tips-for-a-remarkable-tagline.html#:~:text=10%20Tips%20for%20a%20Remarkable%20Tagline%201%20Keep,Story%20What%27s%20your%20story%3F%20…%20More%20items…%20
5. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/business-tagline-20943.html
6. https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/10-tips-for-a-remarkable-tagline.html#:~:text=10%20Tips%20for%20a%20Remarkable%20Tagline%201%20Keep,Story%20What%27s%20your%20story%3F%20…%20More%20items…%20
