Creating a brand from the ground up is difficult because you must consider various factors, such as how it looks, the type of message it communicates, and how it connects with customers. Your company's brand is what distinguishes it from all other rivals on the market, so you need to put some thought into it. 

If you want to learn how to build brand identity, you have come to the right place. Below is a short but comprehensive guide designed to walk you through the process, so continue reading to find out more! 

Know who your brand is

Before you can figure out what elements will make up your brand's identity, you must first figure out who you are as a company.

The following questions should help you understand who you are as a brand:

• What is your goal?
• What are your company's values and the beliefs that drive it?
• What type of personality would your brand have if it were a person?
• How do you set yourself apart from the competitors?
• How would your brand communicate if it were a person?

These are the characteristics that create your brand, and you must understand them all before you begin developing your brand identity.

Choose the right visual elements

The visual elements represent design assets that will determine how your brand is perceived. Your logo, packaging, online design, social media visuals, business cards, and the uniforms your personnel wear are all examples of tangible elements that make up the image of a company.

To put it another way, nailing your design equals nailing your brand identity, which equals developing a successful business that accurately reflects who you are as a brand.

The most important visual elements that make up a brand's identity are:

• Typography – the fonts you use for logos, brand messages, or all throughout your website and promotional materials
• Colors – various colors can send up different messages, so it is really important to choose the right ones if you want to get your message across to your target audience. 
• Logo – this is the cornerstone of your brand's identity and should represent exactly who your company is and what message it tries to send
• Packaging – physical products need packaging that aligns to the values and messages a brand is trying to send

Put yourself in your consumers' shoes

The purpose of brand identity is for customers to understand exactly who a company is without purchasing those products or services. This is why you should develop brand identity with them in mind. 

Put yourself in your customers' shoes and try to understand how each of the following elements reaches them:

• Brand voice

If your brand were able to speak, how would its tone, speed, and voice sound like? This voice should be the one used throughout your marketing, sales, and customer service.

• Feelings

How do customers feel when they interact with your brand? Are they happy, trusting, energized, or confused? 

• Core beliefs

What does your brand stand for? To appeal to your target audience, your brand's core beliefs need to be aligned with theirs, which is why customer research is very important.

• Attitude

If your brand were a person, what would its attitude be? What do they stand for, how do they act, and why do they act the way they do? Brands must have a strong internal culture and personality to make it in today's market.