4 Ways to Look Like an Established Brand (Even If You’re Just Starting)

Kathryn Joachim

Founder and Creative Director of Crème Brands, elevating businesses with luxury branding and websites.

Does your brand look legit? Here are four ways you can set apart your brand as an established player in the market — whether you have a brand new business or have been in business for a long time.

4 Cs of branding to pay attention to to make your business more trustworthy.

Is your brand clear?

Can you explain your offer in just a couple of words? Or, are you over-complicating it? It’s easy to think that adding more details will make your product or service more competitive. But often, less is more. Distill your offer down so it’s easy to explain even to someone unfamiliar with your industry. At a glance, someone should know exactly why they should buy from you. Remember, they don’t necessarily need to know what all that entails just yet.

Is your brand credible? 

Use reviews and social proof to come across as an authority or leader. The trustworthy factor for your brand is huge. Don’t just share your product or service without the context of people’s experiences. Let others do the talking for why what you’re selling really does what it says.

Is your brand compelling? 

Show the results. For some industries, this means before and after photos. For other areas, this means stats and percentages. In other markets, this might be primarily through relatable storytelling. The message isn’t “Work with us if you want,” it’s clients responding to your message with, “I want to work with you!”

Is your brand cohesive?

A lot of times people may not even consciously realize that it’s consistency that makes a brand look trustworthy. Use cohesive fonts, colors, and graphics to build a look people come to expect. Remember, most buyers aren’t purchasing from your brand on the first exposure they have to it. A buying cycle can mean that a prospective customer is in your funnel for days or even years, and is having an experience with your brand before they even buy from it. Come off as polished and professional with a cohesive look they start to recognize.

According to IndoorMedia, the Marketing Rule of 7 is still applicable nowadays. This is where a consumer needs to see a product/ad/brand at least 7 times before it’ll really stick and resonate with them. Having a cohesive brand and messaging from your business will reinforce your offerings. Branding (and marketing) is sometimes playing the long game of building reputability from passive followers and lurkers. 

Steal these secrets from successful, established brands no matter what stage of business you’re in. Make sure your business is coming off as the go-to! 

Want more advice to establish your brand? Follow me on Instagram. Check out my website.