Your company’s brand identity is the image it presents to the rest of the world. Therefore, it needs to be nothing less than perfect if you want to create a high-value company. From overdoing an ad campaign to not being transparent about your products, an entrepreneur can make several mistakes in his lifetime, but perhaps the most fatal one is having a poorly defined brand identity. Your company’s brand identity will be your client’s as well as your customer’s first impression, and therefore it needs to be impeccable. Here are five simple tips to help you build a strong brand identity.

Focus on building a brand and not a product
Apple is the easiest example of building a brand and not a product. Whether it is the iPad, the MacBook or the iPhone, each Apple product is a huge success because it belongs to a well-established and thoroughly loved brand. No matter how good your product is, if your brand doesn’t excite people, they are not going to spend their precious time learning more about your product.

Make your brand reflect your company’s mission
Your brand’s mission statement should be a clear expression of what your company is most passionate about. Everything from your tagline to your logo should reflect that mission. When it comes to branding, start small, and remember to focus on your target niche audience first. As your brand loyalty grows with time, your company will grow too, and your reach will expand automatically.

Focus on your art and copy
Your social media profiles and landing pages should have descriptive copy/content that your potential clients can relate to, with designs that are modern and appealing to the eyes. This basic thumb rule applies to all businesses across all sectors. If you overlook the role that art and copy play in defining your brand identity, you’ll be setting yourself up for inevitable downfall. Therefore, hire a great designer and copywriter who can build a brand identity that will eventually create a high-value company.

Form your brand’s business voice
Your brand’s voice should be formed after examining your company mission, audience and industry. Your brand voice will determine how you communicate to your customers and how they respond to you. Your choice of voice can either be professional and service-oriented, or it can be friendly and conversational. Whatever it is, it should make sense and resonate with your target customers.

Stay true to your brand
Once you’ve chosen your business voice, make sure to use it for every piece of content you create. Constantly changing your branding will not only confuse customers, it will also make long-term branding more difficult.

If you want to transform your business from a small player into a high-value company, you need to develop a solid brand building process. Developing a consistent message and visual identity will do more for your branding than anything else.