Category: Branding

Our branding experts are often asked, “What exactly is a brand?” While it’s easy to think that branding is all about design, there’s a lot more to it than that. To understand branding, it can help to ask yourself if your business were a person, what would they look like, what would they enjoy, how old would they be, what values would they hold? Thinking like this can help you think of branding in a broader way.

If you’re ready to think bigger, read on. In this blog, we share our ideas for what a brand includes, so you can build credibility and connect with a new audience. 

A brand is made up of…

Your logo

A strong logo is a clear representation of your business. Your graphic designer will consider your business story, goals and products to create a visual representation that your audience can engage with.

Your colour palette

Colour can be very powerful – it can communicate emotion, create an atmosphere or build on an existing idea. Remember, these aren’t just colours for your logo – they’ll also appear on your website, social media channels and even uniforms and vehicles. 

Your tone of voice

The way that you talk to your audience does a lot to engage them. Think about the kind of customer or partner you want attract. Ask yourself what sort of language they use, what they want to hear from you and how.

Your values

Many businesses share their values on their websites, which can be a useful way to communicate what they stand for. And when we really embed these values in every area of the business, their power really increases. Your values will help you attract and retain customers and clients, as well as establishing you as the market leader and helping you fill your vacancies with strong candidates. 

The sum total

Remember to measure the strength of your brand against its own success. Is it working? Are you attracting the right customer who want to buy your products and join your community? A strong brand has everything we’ve listed above. Each element works with the others to personify your business, creating a three-dimensional brand your community can engage with.

Outsource branding to Get Ahead

If our blog has made you consider whether to outsource branding, Get Ahead can help. Our experienced marketing team can look at every aspect of your brand, from outward appearance to sincere values, sharpening it up to connect with customers to help your business grow. 

Explore our site to find out more, follow us on LinkedIn or contact your local regional director today. 

Brand credibility is essential for any business – it’s key to establishing trust and growing your business. In this blog, we talk to our branding expert Kim, who explains more about reputation and how to build it, addressing “why is brand credibility important?” 

What is brand credibility?

Kim: Brand credibility is the extent to which your brand is trusted. Your community will naturally include customers and/or clients, but it’s also important to consider how you’re seen by the rest of your industry. 

Why is brand credibility important?

Kim: Brand credibility is important for a number of reasons.

The most obvious one is that it helps you build and retain a strong customer base. Consistency and trustworthiness will always attract customers: they’ll feel reassured, confident and like the business cares about them. 

As well as attracting customers directly, a credible brand will also help you attract opportunities and collaborations. Maybe you’ve established yourself as the most reliable designer of finance software – brand credibility could lead to you speaking at a major conference. Or you might offer something with a niche appeal, but your credibility allows you to branch out into teaching your skill as an additional revenue stream. 

Another a key benefit is that credibility makes your business resilient. For example, you probably saw that big high street brand Marks and Spencer suffered serious cyber attacks earlier this year. You probably also saw that they were able to bounce back because the strength of their brand outweighs any doubts about their online security. 

How do I build brand credibility?

Kim: Brand credibility is one of the ultimate slow burns. While you can invest in brand development, design a new logo or use a fresh advertising campaign, these ideas can’t build credibility by themselves. So in addition to your active branding work, it’s a good idea to think about what you can do to show that you’re a brand to rely on. 

A good starting point is consistency. Make sure that your community has the same kind of experience whether they buy from you in person, visit your website, follow you on social media, or any other touch points. An audit of your marketing will highlight any inconsistencies – note them down then take action! 

Checking for customer focus is also important. Measure every aspect of your brand against the customer experience, because your community will trust you if they feel like you care about them. Check whether your business easy to recognise and contact. Check your tone – are you talking to them, with them or simply at them? “You” is a powerful word – use it. 

You can also look out for opportunities to show leadership. From being an expert in your field to shaping your industry’s response to a new situation, there are more opportunities than you think. Establishing yourself as a leader helps you attract good PR and partnerships, as well as directly driving conversions. 

Outsource branding to Get Ahead

If reading Kim’s insights has got you thinking about increasing your brand credibility, Get Ahead can help. From a marketing audit to a detailed branding exercise, Kim and our other branding experts can help you strengthen what you already have (or even start from scratch!). Explore our site to find out more, follow us on LinkedIn or contact your local regional director today. 

Personal branding is an intentional move to shape how others see you. With a strong personal brand, others will start to value you for what bring, helping you grow your business and further your career.

In this blog, we talk to branding expert Amy, who explains “what is personal branding?” and how to make it work for you.

What is personal branding? Is it the same as reputation?

Amy: It’s easy to confuse personal branding and reputation but they’re actually different. Your reputation comes from the impression you make: how good your work is, how you treat others and how you cope in a crisis. But your personal brand is something more intentional. Personal branding is consciously putting forward the qualities you want to be known for, like creativity, the ability to motivate others or the commitment to see a project through. 

Your personal brand starts to matter when you decide you want more from your role. Maybe you want to attract new investors or clients. Or if you’re employed, maybe you want a promotion or to move to another organisation entirely. When we see a new opportunity, our personal brand will show others what we have to offer and why we deserve to achieve. 

How do I build my personal brand?

Amy: Your personal brand has to be authentic to you. Think about who you are and what you do well. Why would you want to work with you? If that’s too big a question on its own, break it down. I encourage my clients to ask themselves these questions:

  • What motivates you? Are you naturally conscientious or are you excited for what a new project could bring? 
  • What sparks your curiosity? People? Industry innovations? 
  • Where do you want to get to? What do you want to learn? 

You might also think about some attributes that are often included in a personal brand and which ones you have. Think about your current role – not your job title, but the contribution you make by being the person you are. You might be an idea-generator, or a listener, or a problem-solver. You might be adaptable, committed, principled, or even courageous or entertaining. 

Decide which words best describe you…and start using them! 

I have a personal brand – what should I do with it?

Amy: The next step is to share your brand with those whom you think could help you move forward. A great start is to update your social media profiles, describing not just what you do but who you are. Writing your personal brand down like this will also help you crystallise it and give you some pithy phrases you can use in person too.

Once you’re feeling confident about your personal brand, reach out positively to the right people. You might ask someone in your organisation for a one-to-one, or meet a potential investor for lunch. Don’t be nervous – all you have to do is be yourself! You’ve identified what you have to offer and you should be proud to advertise it. 

Further down the line, you might find that your personal brand helps you to up your game. The more you show people you’re a creative innovator, or a compassionate listener, or a focused organiser, the greater the value of these qualities. And when we feel valued for what we offer, our offering becomes even stronger. 

Branding support from Get Ahead

If you’re feeling inspired to create a personal brand, Get Ahead can help. As well as Amy, we have a strong team of branding experts ready to help you find yourself and share it with the right people. With a strong personal brand, you can reach out and grab the next opportunity – what are you waiting for? 

How do you know it’s time to rebrand? Well, that depends on a number of things. Crucially, we don’t believe you should ever be afraid of rebranding. Yes, it sounds scary but it doesn’t have to be as big a deal as you might think. A few years ago, we went from “GetAheadVA” to “Get Ahead” – not only did we survive but it proved to be a very good move for us. 

In this blog, we look at some of the signs that it might be time for you to rebrand your business.

1. You’re thriving

Deciding to rebrand doesn’t mean you’re failing. On the contrary, most businesses that successfully rebrand are in a secure position when they do so. When your business is thriving, you can stop firefighting and find enough time to reflect on your business and what it does well. These reflections can help you pin down your brand identity and create something newer and stronger.

2. You’ve changed what you offer

When you first set up a business, it’s natural that you should offer a range of products or services. You’re testing the water and you want to see what works. And when you’ve found what works, you can use it to drive your business growth. 

Of course, this also means that there are some aspects of your offering that will fall by the wayside. Rebranding will reflect your fresh focus and highlight what you offer right now. 

This is what led to us deciding to drop “VA” and market ourselves as “Get Ahead.” We recognised that our differentiator from other virtual assistant agencies is that we offer specialist services like graphic design and HR, in addition to day-to-day admin support services. We still offer VA services but our change of name shows that we are more than just a VA agency. 

3. Your client base has changed

Savvy business owners know that they can’t please everyone all of the time. However, it’s also natural that you started your business hoping to appeal to as many people as possible! Now, as time has gone by, you might find that you know your clients a lot better than you used to. And now you need a brand that reflects them as much as your business.

7. Your original brand isn’t strong

If your business logo is something you cobbled together to go on your first website five years ago, it probably needs updating. This is because your business deserves a strong logo and clear brand guidelines. Not only is it more professional but it makes life easier for you and your employees. If you’re putting together a banner for an expo, for example, you’ll have instant access to the right colour palette and design templates. 

Outsource branding and logo design to Get Ahead

If our blog has got you thinking about a rebrand, we’re here to help. Check out our graphic design case studiesto find out more, or follow us on social media.

According to a recent survey of social media trends, video is where it’s at. Research shows that two-thirds of social media users feel that short-form videos are the most engaging form of social media content. Video production for social media means you’ll be creating engaging content to boost your following and strengthen your brand. If that’s something your business could benefit from, read on for some fresh ideas.

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Outsource branding and benefit from a different perspective on your business. The decision to rebrand may feel like a big step and a risky one. However, in the long run, it’s usually better to change your brand and strengthen it than to try and muddle along with something that isn’t fit for purpose.

In this blog, we look at how you know you need to rebrand, the advantages of rebranding and why the decision to outsource branding can help.

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Outsource graphic design for fantastic results to convert your customers. Statistics vary, but all conclude that we process visual information incredibly quickly. This means that, when we visit a website or read a printed flyer, we make the decision about that business in a matter of seconds.

For this reason, it’s really important that our graphic design is as great as our business. In this blog, we look at the five main reasons you should outsource graphic design.

  1. High quality work

Graphic designers create stunning artwork for clients every day. They’re always in creative mode and have high-powered, graphics-friendly tech at their fingertips. And if they work for Get Ahead, they’ll have at least three years’ experience to draw on too. This means that when you outsource graphic design to them, they can produce the outstanding work your business deserves.

  1. Powerful visuals to drive conversions

Experienced graphic designers know the importance of creating visuals that reflect your business and tell its story. They understand how graphics work on a subconscious level, like the significance of different colours and subtle differences between photographs. Of course, you want your website to look appealing and professional, but a good graphic designer can create visuals that work on a deeper level too.

  1. Speed

If you do your own graphic design, it probably isn’t part of your usual working day. Even if you enjoy it, you won’t do it as quickly as someone who does it on a daily basis. But when you outsource graphic design, you’ll know it will be completed in a faster time frame than you could achieve yourself.

  1. Correct file sharing

Outsourcing is always better value when it’s sustainable. When you outsource graphic design, you can expect to receive the designs in the right file format for future use. This means that it’s really easy to commission future marketing collateral, like printing your logo onto promotional items. If you’ve ever needed a new website but don’t have your logo saved in a digital format, you’ll know what we mean! Fortunately, with the correct file format, it’s easier to repurpose photos and layouts, saving you money in the future.

  1. One less thing on your to-do list

We know what it’s like to be a busy business owner – there are so many plates to spin! Fortunately, outsourcing graphic design means that you don’t have to do it all yourself. Pass it on to one of our virtual experts and gain some time back for running your business.

Outsource graphic design to Get Ahead

All our graphic designers are experts in their fields with strong track records of producing outstanding work. If you need graphic design support, we’ll find the right virtual expert for your business – someone with the right personality too! Contact us to find out more – we’d love to hear from you.

Promotions, competitions and giveaways can create a real buzz around your business expo stand, both in the real world and online. However, it’s important to put thought into your promo so it works for your business and isn’t just a gimmick.

In this blog, we look at how to plan promos and pass on some ideas that work too!

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Attendance at business expos is a significant part of the role of a Get Ahead franchisee. Expos are a great way to attract new clients, and also to tap into the wealth of knowledge available at the event.

In this blog, we look at the benefits of business expos, and why they are important for Get Ahead’s regional directors.

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As outsourcing experts and flexibility champions, the team at Get Ahead can see many reasons why delegating admin to a virtual PA (also known as a virtual assistant) is great for your business. It’s worth noting that we outsource our admin to our own remote team, doing just what we recommend to our clients and reaping the same benefits.

Here are the top reasons working with a VA is an efficient solution for your business.

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