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I just took another step toward branding my business, The Creative Cauldron. I redesigned my website (take a look www.creativecauldron.com) and tied it into my other promotional products. These products include my business card, letterhead and "Sticky Notes." All of these use the same Celtic knot in the background, and varying shades of green. I used this same knot for the background of my website and the title banner. I then made everything, but the text, on the site green. So now this Celtic knot is on everything that promotes my business. If you see a Celtic knot, and/or green promotional products, you will recognize them as coming from me before you actually read any copy.

This is what part of branding is, a way to make your business recognizable when people just glance at anything that comes from your business. But why go through the extra work to brand your business? Because you have a lot of competition, and they are all bombarding your potential clients with their marketing efforts and promotional products. If someone were to spread out twenty business cards on a table, branding would let a client say, "That looks like Jeff's card," even if they had never seen my card before. But since they had seen my Celtic knot and use of green, they would make a logical guess that the card was mine. At the same time, recognizing my card should give them a good feeling about my business. I want them to feel happy or excited about my business and confident about using me.

Logos have a way of creating an emotional link to a product or service that often goes deeper than words. So use this to your advantage, and create an easily recognizable logo, using it on everything. Every business card, memo pad, letterhead, poster and anything else the customer will see should have your logo on it.

While designing a logo, business cards, letterhead, promotional products and other items are very important, the most important item you will create is your company name and tagline. The name you select needs to be able to express in one, or a very few, words the most essential message of your branding program. It should convey what service will be provided and what your clients can expect to receive from you.

But creating a look through designing a logo, business card and letterhead, promotional products and other items is just the beginning of branding. The most important thing about branding is to create an emotional response from the customer. When they see your brand you want them to feel happy, excited, safe or any other positive emotion you want your business to convey.

Branding is a never-ending process that creates an image of your business. This image comes from many places, including:

• How your employees interact with customers
• How easy it is to use your instruction manual
• How user friendly your website is
• How well your products work
• If you stand behind your products and every other aspect of your business.

All of these combined create an image of your company, and this image is your company's brand. With a positive image you will develop brand loyalty with your customers and they will stay with you even if the occasional problem occurs with your products or services, provided you rectify the problem in a courteous and timely manner.

Don't try to create a brand when you're first getting started. It needs to evolve as your business evolves. But when it's time to sit down to create your company's brand, you need to consider several components. A business must answer all of the following questions to create a strong brand identity.

• What is the company's vision?
• What are the short and long-term goals?
• How do you differ from your competition?
• What makes you unique?
• Who are you and what do you do?
• Why should the client care who you are?
• What do you have to offer potential and current clients?
• What two or three things about the company do you want the customer to remember above all else?
  
• What single attribute do you want your customers to associate with your company? It could be safety, class, customer service or some other quality.
• What promise do you want to make to your customers? Tell them something they will receive, like excellent customer service, and what this will mean to them, like fewer problems and quick resolution of problems that do arise.

Along with the company name, a company logo may be an important aspect of your marketing program. While not essential, logos can be very useful. A logo needs to be a concise expression of your company's identity. A good one will help customers easily recognize your company's products and services. Think about the Swoosh used by Nike, the Apple for Apple Computers and the Bull's Eye for Target Stores. One glance and you know the company, what they do and how you feel about the products and services they offer. I would suggest hiring a graphic artist to help with the design of a logo, as there are many little details that most people aren't aware of. If you feel a little adventurous and what to try something on your own, read my article "Design A Logo For Your Site" at www.CreativeCauldron.com/articlewebLogo.shtml

An important part of branding is to provide a quality product or service, and to offer superb customer support. The reason for this is the Internet. If a person had a bad experience with you, the next thing you know they go to every bulletin board they can find and complain about you. Some people even create a website, often titled "I Hate _______ (insert your company name here)." Imagine what that will do for your business. Now instead of your company brand being associated with warm and fuzzy feelings, it's associated with shabby products and poor customer support.

To make a successful brand, first create a successful business that really cares about its customers. Then draw attention to it with logos, matching business cards and letterhead, snappy slogans and all the other parts of branding.