Branding makes your business recognizable and unique. Your brand may be people's first and most lasting impression of your business, and it should be consistent, whether they encounter you online, in your store, or in print.

Essentially, your brand establishes your business's values and represents your image at a glance. Your goal is to distill the message you want to carry to consumers into a snapshot of your company.

The elements of branding
Visual cues and slogans provide a shorthand definition of your business and carry the message of your brand graphically. Effective branding enables consumers to identify your business on sight. The foundation of branding elements include:

• Logo

  Your logo is a graphical representation of your business, frequently incorporating the name. It helps create the "look and feel" of your correspondence, signage, and other elements of your brand. Even on a small budget, many businesses find it necessary to hire a professional to work with them in designing their logo. Using a homemade logo or one created with clip art can make your business look unprofessional. Your logo should appear wherever possible; letterheads, invoices, emails, and accessories like pens and notepads should all feature your logo. It should become synonymous with your business.

• Slogan
  Your slogan helps define your business's mission statement, values, and beliefs in one succinct phrase. Begin creating your slogan by brainstorming words you want customers to associate with your business. Then choose the most important words that emphasize the message you want to impress on consumers, encompassing your strengths and values. Your slogan should be short and easy to remember.

• Signage
  Clear, easy to identify signage is important to include in your offline business. It should feature your logo and be simple, easy to identify in one glance, and consistent wherever it appears, whether it's on your front door, your vehicle, or at a trade show.

Creating your brand
Before you begin developing a brand, you must have a solid grasp on who your customers are and your mission to serve them. Details can be gleaned from your marketing plan or mission statement. To help you succinctly define your mission, ask yourself the following questions:

• How do I want consumers to view my company?
  Is the identity you want to portray friendly and personable? Quick and easy? Professional and efficient? Creative and innovative? To begin choosing your branding direction, it may be helpful to write a list of characteristics that people would ideally use when describing your business. Identify the words you want consumers to recall when your business comes to mind.

• Who are my customers and how does my product or service address their needs?
  You need a strong grasp of your customer base to create an effective branding strategy. The idea of branding is to tell a consumer in as few words as possible how you will fulfill their needs. Knowing their needs is the first part, and communicating how you intend to fulfill those needs is the second. For example, if your business caters to executives with little time, you may want to put forth an identity of efficiency and professionalism. If you are centered in the hospitality industry, you may want to emphasize friendly and courteous service.

• Who are my competitors and why is my product or service better?
  Sometimes looking at the competition can give you food for thought. You can see what is working for them and what is not working, and keep that information in mind as you create your own brand. Study people's perceptions of other businesses. Use your personal experience as a consumer to guide you. Are there brands you use that have a successful message you can identify with? What does that business do to make their products and their brand memorable to you? Emphasize what is unique about your business that makes it a better choice than the competition.

Using your brand effectively
In order for your brand to be effective, it must be visible, and consumers should be able to recognize it wherever they see it. It should stand out in a crowd and always create the same look and feel. In order to achieve these goals, your brand should be:

• Consistent
  Using your brand consistently is imperative. The logo should never differ, and your mission statement or slogan should carry through to every element of your business. This is also true of consistency between the online and offline sectors of your business. Your bricks and mortar presence should be interchangeable with the image you project on the Web.

• Visible
  The more you reinforce your brand identity, the more memorable it becomes. For example, each page of your Web site should feature your logo. Market your business with advertising, using your logo and slogan. Get your brand out there whenever possible -- on your company vehicles and on the products themselves.

• Unique
  The business world is a sea of brands. In order to develop successful marketing strategies using your brand, your business has to stand out. Emphasize what you have that the competition doesn't. Tell your consumers what makes your business different than all the rest.

Effective branding carries the message of your business succinctly and consistently wherever consumers encounter you. Your logo, look and feel, and slogan reinforce the values of your business and project your image efficiently to customers. Following these guidelines will help you create a brand that makes you stand out in a crowd -- and stay fresh in the minds of consumers.