5 Factors To Consider When Hiring A Branding Expert For Your Business

Published on: 30 October 2021 Last Updated on: 18 January 2025

In the last few years, more and more businesses are realizing the importance of branding. As against sales and marketing, businesses know that branding is essential for the long-term vision, sustainability, and growth of an organization.

While many businesses have made the mistake of equating branding with marketing, there is growing awareness that the two are separate in form and function. This is leading many businesses to invest in strategic branding experts that can help them.

In this resource article, we are going to look at five factors that businesses should consider before hiring branding experts, consultants, or strategists. If you are a business owner looking to invest in a long-term branding exercise, this article will guide you in the right direction.

How can a Branding Expert help a Business: What you need to know

Before we get to the list of factors that should be considered, it would be better if we discuss how a branding expert can help a business in the first place.

Business owners are in agreement that branding is important. What they do not know is how they should proceed. Many have the mistaken assumption that branding is only logo designing, social media presence, and marketing!

While this is not entirely false, the above constitutes just about 5% of what branding is all about.

In reality, a branding expert can help a business optimize three main focus areas about the brand-

Tangible Visual Properties- photoshoots, imagery, social media presence, logo designs, color schemas, fonts, website, blog section, and videos.
Tangible Textual Content- brand motto, values, culture, mission statement, blog articles, slogans or taglines, social media copy, and content.
Intangible Brand Promise- credibility, culture, personality, trust, levels and positioning, perception, experiences, customer service, and support.

As you can see from what we have mentioned above, this is a fairly exhaustive list of topics. An experienced and credible branding expert will help you address all the above goals and objectives.

List of 5 Factors to Consider when Hiring a Branding Expert for your Business

1. Creativity-

While technical specializations are an important aspect of the digital age, you want the branding expert/consultant/agency to be creative. Some of the leading brand strategists like Bennet Schwartz have several years of experience as Creative Director. Creativity is an essential factor you should look at as branding is all about good storytelling that captures audiences.

2. Experience-

Being great at branding requires years of experience. This is not something you can get up and get good at. It requires sophistication, expertise, and years of executing marketing and social media strategies. Great branding experts that lead organizations are often Creative Directors with a graphic design or copywriting background. You need to look for at least five years.

3. Past Client Credentials-

If you are lucky enough to get a branding expert that has worked with a business in your niche, you are on the right path. Even if you do not get one, the key is to look at past client portfolios. Ask the agency or expert to take you through the kind of work they did. Focus on both the creative as well as the technical ROIs. Do not hire someone before establishing credentials.

4. Timelines and ROIs on the Project-

Small trick- if the branding expert says that they will get you the moon and stars within six months, they are lying. You should bail immediately. Experts will tell you that branding is a long-term gain where you need to invest for at least two or three years to start seeing results. It is best to get a definite answer in this regard as it will help guide your business expectations.

5. Prices, Payment Structures, and Affordability-

This ultimately depends on what you are asking the branding agency to do. If you want the whole suite of what we mentioned in the earlier sections, you are looking at sizable costs. However, you can always break it up into stages and ensure incremental payments. Make sure to discuss the same with the agency so that there are no problems later on the payment front.

The Final Word

Branding differs from business to business. It is a completely individualized experience that comes with a customized strategy. In other words, what worked for one brand might not necessarily work for someone else. This is something that separates great branding experts from the ones who are just in the market to make some money. If you have any questions, you would like us to address, please let us know in the comments below.

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Audience that works effectively for business Function

Components of a Successful Business Function

Imagine this for a minute. Your boss has asked you to plan a product launch for an up and coming product that you’ve been working hard on. While this is your chance to prove your capabilities and stand out in your team, it can also be a source of unwarranted stress. Your Business function plays a vital role in upgrading your business to the next level. So, how do you plan a successful business function if your event planning experience is only limited to those frat parties you used to throw back in college? Who are the people you need to work with and what are the things you need to prepare to organize a corporate event? In this short guide, you’ll learn just how easy it is to put together a successful event - with the right mindset and strategy. Essential Components Of Business Function Are As Follows There are several essential components of business function that you need to take care off while improving your business to the next level. Pre-event planning: The basics: Before you book those suppliers, the first thing you need to do is understand the who, what, why of the event you’re planning. Without the basics, it will be hard for you to put the different components together. Who are you planning an event this for? What is your company trying to achieve with this event? Why is this event important for your organization? Understanding that the company’s vision and mission come before your own personal goals will enable you to deliver the message that the company wants to communicate. Organize a meeting with the event stakeholders to discuss the questions above and hopefully, it will help you make the event more meaningful. Date: Part of planning any event is deciding on a date to have it on. Make sure that your event doesn’t fall on the same date as any major industry conferences. You should also steer clear of holidays and civic celebrations. Budget: Your budget will dictate how well you will be able to execute your plans so don’t just pull a random number out of thin air. Consider both your expected costs and actual costs when asking for a budget so that you don’t end up broke. Location: While you might prefer to hold your event at the hottest spot in town, you need to make sure that your location reflects your company’s main purpose for the event. Your location shouldn’t just be a great fit for your event, it should also accessible enough even with public transportation. Catering: Let’s face it, planning food and drink for any business function can be nerve-wracking when you’re trying to impress the head honcho. For big events, it’s always best to hire a catering specialist who can meet your specifications and expectations. Staff: You can’t run a successful event as a one-man show. You need the help and support of a great team to get your event off the ground. Since you’ll be handling pretty much everything from event promotion to on-the-day coverage, look for people who are not only creative but also willing to work overtime for the pre-event preparations. Marketing: Promoting the event should begin as soon as you have the materials from the marketing team. This way, you’ll have enough time to get send your invites out and secure any VIPs you want to invite. As a rule of thumb, you should send out your invites at least 4 weeks before the event date and send out reminders weekly. Program flow: Having an event without a program flow is a recipe for disaster so try to come up with an event checklist before the date. Create a “run of show” document that lays out the whole event as you plan it to happen. Make sure to include contact information of the persons involved for each part. On-the-day event execution: One of the most challenging parts about managing an event, especially a big one with plenty of guests, is keeping track of the onsite registration. While there’s nothing stopping you from doing this manually, you can make the process easier and faster by using the right tools. Here are some innovative ideas to make the check-in process flow seamlessly. Self-registration using tablets Face recognition RFID On-site badge printing At any event, you want to make the right first impression, especially with the VIPs. Make sure that you have a team dedicated to welcoming guests as they enter the door. You also want to have enough space between your venue’s entrance and the registration table so that you can minimize jams at the entrance. Expecting a lot of VIPs at the event? Don’t be afraid to ask the corporate heads for help to usher them into a designated area where they can have the best view. Post-event follow-up: A successful event doesn’t end once the doors close. You need to have a system for the follow-up to keep up with the guests who made it to your event. Depending on your event, you can utilize social media, email marketing or even snail mail to let guests know that you appreciate the time and effort they put into coming to your event. While you’re at it, you might as well ask your guests for input or feedback. The information you gather will be extremely helpful for your next corporate event planning. Here are some ideas to make follow-up a breeze: Using the emails from the registration process, you can schedule an email drip campaign for the people who attended your event. It’s a great way to make special offers on your new product or send them useful tips on how to use the product you just launched. Try not to go overboard with the offers though. Even before the event date, you can already put together a content packet that you can give away to guests right after the event. A good way to digitize printed content is to use a QR code that will quickly give guests access to a landing page you want them to visit. You can also build a social media following around your event with a dedicated hashtag. Encourage guests to like and follow your social media accounts and use the dedicated hashtag in their posts. Make it even more exciting by offering a special prize to the best post about the event. Read Also: 7 Important Tips For Planning An Outdoor Event 3 Ways To Boost Employee Engagement In Your Business

How To Become A Successful Team Leader?

Some people choose to seek a leadership path. Being a team leader isn’t the same as being a boss. You can not expect that people will do everything you want just because you have this job title. A talented and ambitious leader is one who walks ahead of the team and clears all the branches on the way with a machete. Leaders know the answers to most questions and are capable of taking decisions. As you can understand, it is not the easiest job. Team leaders balance between employers and employees while trying to get some work done. On the other hand, this role can give you the freedom to create and a lot of satisfaction. Here is what you need to know in order to become a successful team leader: Educate yourself: To lead people, you should be a detail-oriented professional yourself. It’s recommended to gain valuable work experience before getting promoted to a leadership role. Before becoming a team leader, try out different jobs and don’t hesitate to ask your co-workers about their work duties during lunch breaks. It will help you to find a connection with team members and delegate the tasks to the right people. As a present or future team leader, you should never stop educating yourself. Consider getting a diploma of work health and safety in order to develop your management capabilities. Also, you will be able to find a lot of leadership courses online. So, refresh your knowledge from time to time and don’t think you are the smartest person in the room because it might be wrong. Delegate tasks: Team leaders have a lot of responsibilities. However, you are not alone in this; you have a team that can help you out whenever you need it. Sometimes people can’t see how stressed or overloaded with work you are. As a team leader, you should start delegating tasks to the right people without blaming anyone for not reading your mind. You should be leading people, not doing their job. Before you start delegating tasks, talk to your team members and uncover their talents and skills. When you assign a project to someone, you should be clear about the deadline and all the details. Your team members should feel your presence, so remain open to discussion. Let them know that you are there to guide them. Check new hires by giving them smaller tasks. It’s the way to understand what they are capable of doing. Also, it will help to build their competence and confidence in the workplace. You might make mistakes and delegate a task to the wrong person. If it happens, explain to the team member what exactly you want them to change. Once again, no one can read your mind! Keep track of these situations and make sure it will never happen again. Get to know your team: To manage your team successfully, you should learn as much as possible about each member. Your team members have different goals, motivations, and intentions. So, your main task is to get to know people as soon as possible. For instance, you can ask the previous supervisor/ manager about their experience. Keep in mind that prism can distort reality, so don’t trust everything other people tell you about your team. Another way to get to know people is to schedule one-on-one meetings with them. Ask everyone about their short-term and long-term goals and what they would like to improve and learn. Feel free to use this information in the future - all people want to be heard and feel valued. Also, don’t keep yourself at a distance from everyone else in the office. Sit next to your team and let them observe you. It will make them think that you are an integral part of the team and that you don’t escape responsibilities. Once they see how hard-working and open you are, they will feel more comfortable around you. Don’t hesitate to hang out with your team members. Parties and other team-building activities have always been great icebreakers. Be a good person: Your team should trust and respect you. Obviously, the team members will not do it only because you command them to do that. You can only earn respect. To do so, you should behave appropriately. Here is what not to do: Gossip Put people down Steal business ideas Blame others for failures Think you always know best Do everything yourself Here is what you should do as a team leader: Get to know your team Listen carefully Help people grow professionally Resolve conflicts Delegate tasks Protect your team Be a good example The Bottom line: Being a team leader isn’t the easiest job in the world. You will have a lot of responsibilities and stress. However, you can apply leadership strategies to make it easier for yourself. You should spend more time with your team and understand what they are capable of doing in the company. Be a role model for them - the one who keeps the word and does the work on time. Read Also: 5 Key Leadership Skills For Entrepreneurs How To Become A Good Team Player At Work 4 Business Leadership Skills For Business Success

New Warehousing Trends That Every Entrepreneur Should Know

Entrepreneurs who deal with warehousing businesses such as storage of goods, wholesale supplies, or many others have to keep their eyes open for the new trends that they should follow. Other linked businesses include transportation logistics and retail among many others. Today, there are many new trends that are shaping how business is done in this sector and you need to know the most common ones. Follow this article to learn more. Smart Technology The most popular trend is the use of smart technology that automates operation and gives real-time results. This technology is also the source of the big data that we are going to discuss below. Apart from technology that helps in operations like customized software, they also have others that take care of security. They include access doors, surveillance cameras, and many others. Big Data Solutions All sectors are emulating this solution and the warehousing business is not an exception. It involves the management of massive data packets that come through the business to get factual results. This also means using hardware and software that assist in this. Big data engineers should also be involved to ensure that all the systems are set and managed well for your logistics business. No entrepreneur can afford to lose out on this. Temporary Building Solutions It is almost impossible to run a warehouse business without a structure of some kind. In fact, these structures massive depending on the business that you do. Today, entrepreneurs are finding that temporary modular structures have many benefits. As soon as you try this solution from the website, you will save money and time as the primary benefits. Additionally, they are flexible and easy to maintain. This is a trend that you do not want to miss. Copying a word from the Cryptocurrency World Blockchain technology is quickly penetrating other sectors today. It is penetrating the warehousing and logistics sector in a better way than any other industry. While normal cryptocurrency blockchain technology is used for transactions when buying and selling goods, smart entrepreneurs can also create their own system that uses this technology for other operations. This way, there will be no hacking into the system for malicious damage of the sector. New Management Systems Management schools today have new approaches to giving solutions. Generation X is highly trained in the use of technology to gather data for factual decision making. Thus, older generations may not fully understand this, but millennials will find it easy to deliver credible results. If you are about to start a warehouse today, just know that any decision you make thereafter should be backed with data. This way, you will minimize the chances of making mistakes. As you can see, most warehouses started by the young generation are very successful today. Conclusion Opening your eyes as an entrepreneur to enjoy these benefits is paramount. One will also need to be innovative to coin these ideas to fit into their business. All the best! Read Also: 5 Key Leadership Skills For Entrepreneurs Essential Logistics Terminology Every Entrepreneur Should Know 7 Startup Essentials Entrepreneurs Should Know About

5 Factors To Consider When Hiring A Branding Expert For Your Business

How can a Branding Expert help a Business: What you need to know