Not only do the mightiest brands reflect the core ethos of their founders, they also elicit an emotive response from their audience. Logo, mission, voice — all elements that weave together a cohesive story that your investors and future employees can believe in. As American entrepreneur and sharing economy thought leader Lisa Gansky put it:

“A brand is a voice, and a product a souvenir”

A strong tone will elevate you above the noise, helping distinguish your start-up in an ever crowded marketplace. Here are three ways to ensure your branding — and therefore your message — is always on point.

Define your voice

Imagine your brand is a character. What do they sound and look like? What words do they use? Are they outgoing, or quietly confident? A snarky and verbose tone might be perfect for a brand aimed at a niche subculture, but would likely fall flat catering to an elderly audience.

The most successful brands keep their voice both distinct and consistent; whether they are writing taglines or tweeting to a customer. By defining a clear voice, you not only strike a clear tone with your content, you are also less likely to contradict yourself later down the line — a definite no-no in today's world of rapid fire communication. As Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO said:

“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

Ultimately, you are accountable for shaping your reputation across all audiences, whether that’s customers, investors or followers.

Keep branding consistent

Now you've created a strong voice, it's imperative to maintain it across all contact points. You want a distinct web presence; all of your online touchstones linked together. Firstly, this increases the odds of people finding you in a Google search. Secondly, a larger digital presence can add a measure of social proof and accountability to a fledgling business, and lastly, it means you can be found easily by potential customers. According to a survey by Nielson, 83% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family. You are most certainly missing out on leads by having an incoherent online presence .

Before you commit to a particular username or domain, ensure that it's available across your desired channels. Retain a consistent naming syntax where possible. You can avoid common domain name pitfalls with some help from http://www.clickintelligence.co.uk.

Additionally, the maintenance of consistent visual branding can help your brand stick in the minds of clients and consumers — Creating a vivid image of your start-up alongside your distinct voice.

Identify your audience

Although it's tempting to cast your net far and wide, your brand will have the most impact when it’s tailored to a unique segment. Select one or two core demographics, and really dive into their mindset. What are their hopes, motivators and fears? Additionally, consider their earthier traits. What's their budget? Where do they hang out online? Use this knowledge to direct your content, SEO and social media decisions. 

Once you’ve defined a brand, your audience research will help you hone your message for maximum impact.