10 Steps to Launching Your Brand and Business

A client books a call with me; we organize to meet over Zoom and the first question I often get asked is what I should concentrate on, work on, or do before I launch. does this sound familiar? The evolving digital landscape, small to medium businesses have a tremendous opportunity to thrive by embracing a digital-first approach to marketing but the hardest step is moving from 0 to 1.

For businesses, adopting digital marketing practices is no longer a luxury but a necessity to stay competitive and reach their target market effectively. To establish a strong online presence, small businesses need a well-defined digital marketing strategy or work closely with an expert so they can align with the business’s objectives and target audience. It should encompass various elements such as naming your business, website and domains, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing and handles, email marketing, and paid advertising.

I have been fortunate to navigate these roadblocks that seem more significant than they are but are harder to put pen to paper. I have spent the last few years refining ways to help businesses like yours to have confidence before launching or answering questions like which platform my website should be hosted on.

Know your company inside and out.

This includes knowing your mission (why you do what you do), vibe (how you communicate what you do), audience (who you do it for), offering (what you do), and execution (how you do what you do). Having that information top of mind will make you sound like the ultimate polished business owner, plus it’ll help you identify great potential partners down the line.

What’s your Pitch

For example, mine is, “I’m a Brand Creator and Calligrapher who creates brands for individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations while harnessing the community through live brand activations that solve the problem of generating sales and forming a network.”

Having a clear and concise elevator pitch not only makes it easier for you to explain what you do, it makes it easier for other people to explain what you do when you’re not around (and THAT is how you get great referrals.)

My elevator pitch has changed nearly a million times over the last few years, so don’t get too hung up on making it something that will last forever. The most important thing is to ensure it remains true to what your business is today, not six months ago.

What does your website say

I will admit, my website is forever evolving. It’s timeless, evolving right alongside us. I see our website as a work in progress, always. It’s never finished, it’s never perfect. I am always shifting, moving, and changing things around. And right now, we’re undergoing an evolution ourselves. But my domain is secured, my DNS records are up to date and my email don’t land in spam.

Brand colours

Ask yourself the following:

1. Where your business fits in the market?

2. What makes your brand unique?

3. What they can expect from your products or services?

Now let’s hop on to Pinterest for some colour inspo based on your answers of the above.

If this helps you to gain clarity on how you share what you know, what you’re considering starting, how you engage people best and what you can offer to a business or a team, that will add value and help to move things forward, then you are on the right track.

For a detailed breakdown, head over to 10 Steps to Launching Your Brand and Business.