As an entrepreneur, constantly improving your products, services, website, brand image and more is simply a reality of the business. If you aren’t looking for ways to sharpen and remold your company into a better version of itself on a consistent basis, then you’ll likely fall behind your competitors quickly. That being said, the approach that many entrepreneurs and working professionals are taking when it comes to improving their business is fundamentally flawed in a number of ways.

In today’s cutthroat marketing landscape, it seems like standing out from the competition gets harder by the day. When it comes to content marketing specifically, the amount of competing noise does not stop. There are certainly ways to stand out from the crowd most brands are aware of, such as social media advertising, Google Adwords and more. Yet, there's a very effective and simple method to differentiate yourself from your competitors that many entrepreneurs often overlook or are simply unaware of: creating a brand kit.

On average, five to seven brand impressions are required before someone will remember your brand, according to Pam Moore. And, with everyone constantly being on his or her smart phones or computers, this means it’s imperative to get your brand identity established online when building brand awareness.

According to Jenna Hanington, senior content strategist at Pardot, “Brand messaging refers to the underlying value proposition conveyed and language used in your content. It's what makes buyers relate to your brand by inspiring them, persuading them, motivating them, and ultimately making them want to buy your product.” In other words, the purpose of your brand message is to connect with your target audience and thereafter convert them to customers.

Logos are everywhere. A 2016 study by the market research firm Yankelvich estimated that the average person sees over 5,000 ad/logos per day, up from 2,000 just 30 years ago. Logos and brands are big business, with many companies spending upwards of a million dollars to create the logo that will give them the strongest brand identity. Companies need to be noticed, and that is where the logo comes in.

The ability to connect with customers is one of the most important measures of a company’s success. Once you’ve established your company and developed your product, you need to reach out to the masses. Finding quantifiable ways to market your product is imperative if you want to become a formidable player in the industry. Knowing that goal and understanding how to achieve it, however, are often too very different things.

Have you ever wondered just how much a name like McDonalds is worth? The answer lies in the companies brand equity. A company’s brand is one of its most valuable assets; and brand equity is a measure of that value. Brand equity directly corresponds to financial performance, something a company like McDonalds knows all too well.

A company’s branding strategy is made up of several elements, including its logo. Oftentimes, the logo piece of the branding pie is overshadowed by the other elements. That doesn’t mean it isn’t equally as important, however. Just ask a company whose logo or logo change torpedoed their entire strategy.

What do branding and marketing specialists know that you don’t?

Have you ever wondered what companies like McDonalds or Coca-Cola did to become the global icons they are today? Companies that have built themselves into star brands have several things in common. Analyzing the branding strategies of these companies can help you launch your own business in a manner that maximizes your chances for success.

Every start-up business dreams of the day their name becomes a household word. There is no easier way to judge a brand’s success than by listening for it in everyday speech. Just think of the last time you asked for a Kleenex or a Post-It. Those brand names have become synonymous with the industry itself. In reality, not all facial tissues are from the Kleenex Company, which is owned by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. There are actually multitudes of companies that produce facial tissues, each one trying to get out from under Kleenex’s hold on the industry.