Choose your Words Carefully
In starting a new business, the task many entrepreneurs want to tackle first is creating a logo and the visual aesthetic of their business. But honestly, that’s usually putting the horse before the cart.
The first order of business should be crafting your message and carefully choosing the words that represent both your product or service as well as your brand as a whole.
So, put aside the color wheel, your hand-drawn logo sketches, and your search for the perfect graphic designer and dig deep to establish your business’s messaging… starting with finding the most effective words to define your business.
Here are three steps to take before considering the visuals of your brand.
Give your Business an Effective Name
Your business name is the first step to achieve effective messaging. Your business name should instantly tell potential customers what your product/service is and speak directly to your target audience.
People often default to the easy route and utilize their name in the business. This is usually a mistake. Unless you’re someone like Ford, your name provides zero information to your potential customers about your product or service.
There are a couple of exceptions when using a proper noun might work well. Like when it adds a catchy ring by using elements like alliteration. “Bob’s Barricades” is well known. But the key is that his business doesn’t hinge on his name. (Who is Bob anyway?) And, more importantly, we know exactly what Bob has to offer. The alliteration simply makes the name more memorable.
The one exception to this rule might be artists and photographers, because their name is in fact their brand.
When brainstorming names for your business, ask yourself two questions:
Does the name tell people what my business offers?
Does the name speak to my target audience?
Using obscure or cutesy names is usually not the most effective route. Without the brand recognition that a company like “Apple” carries, it’s better to use a name that states exactly what you offer.
You also want to be specific enough that you’re targeting a specific audience. Don’t try to cast the net to wide and reach everyone – but hone in and appeal to true potential customers.
Create a Descriptive Tagline
By no means is a tagline required. But in some cases, it adds clarity to a brand, states your mission and strengthens the name.
Take OxiClean as an example. The name alone gives you an idea of what this product does. But it doesn’t tell you exactly what it is or what it’s going to do for you.
So, the tagline “Get the tough stains out” builds upon the name. A tagline should be crafted to directly address the consumer and their “problem”. Ultimately, the tagline instantly states how your product/service provides customers the solution.
Write Compelling Copy
Rule #1: STOP writing about yourself. Let’s be honest, when someone visits your website or picks up your flyer, their interest is not piqued because they want to know how you started your business or who you are. They DO care about what your product or service can do to improve their life or how it can solve a problem they have.
Sure, there are definitely people who care about your story and want to get to know the person they’re going to do business with. But that’s what the “about” page or section is for – not the home page or cover of a brochure.
So, before you begin writing, consider your audience’s pain point. Why did they come to your website, stop by your booth, check-out your shop in the first place? Who are they and how can you help those people specifically? These are the people you’re writing to.
This approach should be taken in EVERY. SINGLE. piece you write. Whether it’s your website, marketing collateral, emails or social media.
In summary, the words you choose to define your brand are the foundation for everything else. You may find in taking the steps above that the visual you originally had in mind is completely different or at odds with the words you choose.
So, trade out Adobe Illustrator for the moment for a good old fashioned pen and paper and start jotting down words that describe your business. Having writer’s block? Feel free to reach the marketing wordsmiths at info@stamarketplace.com to help you find the right words to define your brand.