3 steps to building a strong foundation for your brand

Marketing is essentially the engine that drives your business forward. It’s an effective means of both acquiring new clientele and maintaining old relationships.

Without a proper marketing strategy, most aspects of a business would fail to produce. To that end, a well-devised marketing strategy is perfectly capable of delivering unparalleled results. Nothing else you do is likely to coincide with a better return on investment.

However, as complex as marketing might seem, there is certainly a method to the madness. The most successful marketers are those who recognize the systems that can increase their exposure.

In fact, they would argue that foundational brand building is the most important step in any marketing campaign. Establishing a presence within a community can build credibility and boost your reputation.

Without these factors, there is nothing for prospective consumers to gravitate toward. Marketing efforts would fall flat without a brand to support them.

Before you implement a marketing strategy, recognize the importance of building your brand. I recommend focusing on the following areas:

1. Procure an easy-to-remember phone number

Easy-to-remember phone numbers have become synonymous with successful marketing campaigns. As one of your most valuable resources, they are perfectly capable of establishing your identity and credibility.

I could even go as far as saying that the right phone number can serve as the foundation on which you build your brand.

Far too many entrepreneurs — and more real estate investors than I would like to admit — take their phone numbers for granted. After all, it’s just a phone number, right?

Everyone has one. It isn’t until you fathom how difficult it would be to run a business without a phone number that you recognize the importance — it’s virtually impossible.

The proper phone number is perhaps the easiest way to increase your marketing response rates, and it’s probably easier to get one than most would assume.

Simply call your telephone service provider, and ask which numbers are available. The key, however, is to inquire about numbers that include a series of repeating digits.

Your foundational marketing response rates will see a dramatic improvement when they are supplemented with a number that has reoccurring digits.

There is, of course, a chance that none of the available numbers are to your liking. Before settling on a number that you feel offers no strategic advantage, refrain from choosing one.

Instead, start calling the numbers you feel would fit your criteria, and start making offers. It’s as simple as that. You would be surprised at how many people would be willing to part with their number for a couple hundred bucks.

2. Come up with a memorable business name

The prospect of choosing a business name can evoke a variety of emotions within a relatively inexperienced entrepreneur. Some view the process as a new beginning — an initiation into their respective industry.

However, there are those who are terrified that choosing a name is so finite. Either way, the ramifications of your decision are real and will undoubtedly leave you with more questions than answers.

Will it resonate with my target audience? Does it make sense? What will people think of it? Should I have gone another way? These are just a few of the questions new business-owners are likely to ask themselves when coming up with a name for their company.

Enjoy the process, but approach it with due diligence. Understand that your business name will represent you and your company for the duration of your career. It’s not something to be taken lightly.

A memorable business name goes a long way in the marketing efforts of a respective company. The easier it is to recognize a company name, the better chance it has of establishing an identifiable, credible presence. To that end, the URL that corresponds with your company name should be equally memorable.

A business’s name should convey its main prerogative. By no means should prospective customers be confused as to what it is your company does.

Take your time, be strategic and identify with aspects of your particular niche. For all intents and purposes, the business name you choose should mean something to those who are hearing it for the first time.

Assuming you have landed on a name, or at least narrowed down the candidates, the first thing you should do is a little research.

For starters, you will want to make sure the name isn’t already registered under another company. It also wouldn’t hurt to reference any potential names with those of your competitors.

You don’t want anything that is too similar to another like-minded business in the area — or too dissimilar for that matter.

Your research should inform you of whether your brand name can transition to an online presence. Before you decide on anything, you will want to make sure you can build the same reputation online. Visit a domain registrar and search for the availability of your URL using your business name.

If it’s available, don’t hesitate to buy it. They are relatively cheap, and you don’t want to risk someone getting to it before you do.

Follow the same guidelines for any social media accounts you intend to set up as well. Remember, consistency across your brand is vital. Be sure everything boasts the same name to avoid any confusion.

3. Strategically pick a logo and color scheme

A well-designed logo with a corresponding color scheme is entirely capable of boosting response rates and generating leads. However, coming up with a logo that is capable of doing so requires a bit of creativity and a lot of thought.

That leaves us with one question: What are the best logo designs and colors for your business?

As the most well-recognized elements of branded marketing, logos and color schemes carry a lot of weight. They bridge the gap between consumer and business.

They are also essential to establishing credibility and recognition in a respective community. They are the most rudimentary aspects of branded marketing but integral nonetheless.

Underestimating the importance of your company’s logo can be damaging, and — in some cases — counterproductive.

Before you even begin designing your logo, recognize the role color will play in its creation. Colors inherently evoke a wide spectrum of emotions, and properly designed logos will use this to their advantage.

According to Entrepreneur.com, “Green conveys organic growth, the earth, nature or feelings of caring. Meanwhile, black communicates feelings of sophistication, authority or seduction.”

Every color, for that matter, has become synonymous with its own set of feelings. Entrepreneur.com provides us with the following examples:

Take note of what these colors represent, and — more importantly — which ones you want representing your company. Which emotions do you want to elicit out of your prospective consumers?

Color isn’t the only facet of a logo that has associations with subliminal messages: The font, spacing and shape all have their own stories to tell.

Our subconscious minds respond to each of these aesthetic features in unique ways. A straight line, circles, curves and jagged edges all imply something different. A skilled designer, for that matter, can use shape, font and spacing to infer whatever it is you want your company to stand for.

I recommend leaving this aspect in the hands of a professional. Many online portals will allow you to connect with designers for a relatively small fee. To that point, your time is likely better spent on more productive marketing campaigns.

Marketing is as much about increasing your company’s exposure and generating brand awareness as it is about solidifying your presence in a given area. The easier your company is to remember, the more likely it is to generate leads.

Than Merrill is the founder and CEO of FortuneBuilders Inc. and CT Homes. Connect with Than on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter @ThanMerrill.

Email Than Merrill.