• Before you embark on any major brand changes be sure to do your research - this means customer questionnaires, reviews and focus groups. You want to know exactly how your brand is currently perceived by your target market. The information you get from your customers will mean your designer will be able to help you come up with a rebrand that reflects the needs and wants of your audience. 

If you decide to rebrand don’t forget the importance  of trademarking your logo to protect your brand. 

Are you considering a rebrand for your business? Contact us or help with your rebrand or trademark advice. ​

If you’ve spent time coming up with a name and creating a logo for your business the last thing you want is for another business to start trading with a similar name and logo. There are laws in place (the common law trade mark) giving you some protection from this but without an officially protected trade mark your rights are not as secure as they could be. You might have put off registering your logo because it seems like too much hassle but in this blog we are going to show why it’s worth the time to protect your brand.

What is a trade mark?
In basic terms a trade mark is any intellectual property that can be used to distinguish your business or services from another (logo, name, song, sound shape etc). You can use your name in a trade mark, for example if you offer a specific service such as a photographer, ie Annie Smith Photography but there would be nothing to stop someone with the same name registering a trade mark as Annie Smith as long as visually it is significantly different.
 
Registering your logo adds value
Registering your logo as a trade mark is a valuable asset to your business and allows you to sell, franchise or licence it. If your end goal is to ultimately build a sellable business then having the trade mark registered is vital. It shows the buyer you have carried out every step possible to protect your brand.
 
Differentiate your business from your competitors and protects your brand
Your brand and logo are what helps build customer loyalty and confidence and having a registered trade mark helps prevent other businesses from imitating your brand or logo. By registering your trade mark you are ensuring you are legally entitled to take legal action against anyone who tries to replicate your brand.
 
Exclusivity
Registering your trade mark will give you exclusive rights to use your trade mark in the territory it is registered (eg UK, USA etc). Don’t forget to renew your registration when the time comes though (10 years in the UK).
 
Cost
HMRC have a detailed breakdown of costs associated with applying to register your trade mark, starting from £170 for online application. Creative Remedy will do all the hard work for you with costs starting from 3 hours, this is to carry out the necessary research, complete the registration and liaise with you tthe client and HMRC if required.
 
At Creative Remedy we will work with you to ensure your brand logo meets the requirements for trade mark registration before helping you start the registration process. Once the trade mark is registered your brand is protected for 10 years before you need to renew.
 
Do you have a brand, product or service  logo that you need to register as a trade mark? Contact us for help and advice and we can help you protect your brand.

Running a business is expensive - from property rental and the associated bills to employing staff. So, when it comes to marketing your products and services it makes sense to utilise all the free tools at your disposal.

In this month's blog we are discussing the best free online tools available to promote your business on the internet.

Google Business Profile
All businesses should be making the most of Google and most will already be making sure to optimise their website to boost their Google ranking but it’s easy to forget another important part of Google that requires attention- Google business listing. Previously known as Google My Business, your Google Business Profile allows you to optimise the Google listing for your business by adding details such as location, services and products as well as photos of your business. Note that Google Business Profile is only available to businesses that have contact with customers either via a physical premises or meeting customers in other locations (ie consultants, electricians etc).

A Google Business Profile is a fantastic free tool to reach customers that are searching for products and services like yours in their local area.
 
Mailchimp
Free for businesses with less than 2000 subscribers, Mailchimp is an indispensable tool for your email marketing strategy. Mailchimp is one of the best-known email marketing tools and for a good reason. Mailchimp has been helping businesses communicate with their customers since 2001 and their free plan, if you have a designer on board, lets you create great looking email templates, automate email campaigns, follow up leads and convert leads to clients. It also has a fantastic analytics dashboard.

Hubspot
For a free Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool you can’t go far wrong with Hubspot. With Hubspot you have access to tools that help with everything from blogging to SEO, marketing to analytics. It really is a one stop shop marketing software tool. Great for startups and established businesses alike, there’s no wonder Hubspot is such a popular choice amongst many business owners.

Hotjar
With a free basic plan, Hotjar is a fantastic tool for discovering more about your website visitors. Using heatmaps to visualise user behaviour allows you to build up a picture of how customers navigate your website. Over time you can see where you need to make changes to your site in order to improve performance and engagement. 

Typeform
When it comes to knowing where to make improvements to your business, nothing gives you better insight than customer feedback. Typeform is a great online tool that allows you to design forms and surveys so you can collect all the important data you need to help you give your customers what they want!

There are lots of other great tools out there that can help with promoting your business, what tools do you use to help with online promotion? Let us know in the comments!
 
If you are in need of help with your online marketing, contact us for advice.

If your relationship with Instagram is in need of a boost then now is the perfect time to spend some quality time getting to know how to nurture your Instagram account and cultivate the perfect partner for your business.

Take Time to Connect
Instagram is a great way to boost your brand and engagement- you can post photos and videos of products and services, interact with followers and gain insights into their preferences.

1. Listen to your audience Your followers and customers will all publish a wealth of content that gives you all the information you need to create a detailed picture of your customer.
2. Looking Good Videos are a fantastic way to showcase your products and services, you can upload tutorials and product demonstrations and get immediate feedback from your followers.
3. Communication is Key Posting regularly with interesting and relevant content will really boost your engagement and your followers will like and share your posts so you reach a wider audience.
   
4. Build Trust  Brand loyalty requires trust and Instagram is a perfect tool to do this.
   

Our Top Tips for Keeping the Love Alive
 
Keep it professional- A business account is free and will give you much needed insights to help you tailor your content and post it at the right time for maximum reach.
 
Show you care- Post regularly and consistently with interesting and relevant content and make sure it is clear and communicates well.
 
Get your Hashtags On- Use up to 30 hashtags in every post. Make sure they are relevant to the post and make sure you always add brand specific ones to your posts. Research the most popular hashtags relevant to your business and make a list specifically for you and your key products and services.
 
Sell Yourself- Make sure your profile has all the information about your business clearly describes what you provide or offer. Use a great profile picture and make sure you include your website url!
 
Stay true to yourself (and your brand)- You want to try and mirror your brand identity as much as possible so try and use similar colours, fonts and images as used on your website and branding. Be sure to keep your voice and tone consistent too. Only use the best photos and videos, Instagram is a visual platform so use it to your advantage.
 
Share the love- Actively engage with your followers. Your best advocates might already be posting amazing content that is relevant to your business. Consider collaborations for maximum return for both parties.

To stand out from competitors a successful business needs to have a unique brand. But it’s important to remember that your brand is more than just a name and a logo, you need your brand to tell your unique story. You want your customer and target audience to connect with you and your business so it’s essential your brand communicates your key message.

Your Story
You need to communicate your brand to your customers and a great way to do this is by giving them the low-down on your business values, qualities, products and services. You are aiming to capture the essence of your business and create a connection between you and your customers.

Use a Consistent Tone

• In order to stand out from your competitors and become recognisable to your audience you need to make sure you use a consistent voice through all your marketing channels including social media, blogs and any print marketing. Make sure you don’t lose sight of your brand message and always stay true to your values- your customers are more likely to remain loyal to your business if your business remains loyal to your brand values.
  

Your ‘Why’
When you tell your story make sure you tell your audience what it was that inspired you to start your business and what you were trying to achieve. Again, this will help to build trust with your audience and make them see that your business is about more than just sales and profit- building your brand!
 
Make sure you tell your employees about your ‘story’, this will ensure you are all sending the same message to your clients and reinforce your brand identity. Telling your story and connecting with your customers will help build strong relationships and brand loyalty.
 
Your Visual Brand and Logo
Your visual brand needs to be on all your branding material both online and any printed materials such as stationary, business cards and any marketing materials. You should use colours that reflect your brand and the design of all your branding needs to clearly show your tone and voice. This is where you should consider using a graphic designer to help you create a logo that encompasses your identity.
 
Even if your business is fully established, it's important to review how your branding reflects your identity- is it giving the right message? Does it give a clear message about what you and your business are trying to achieve?
 
It’s a good idea to make sure your brand is conveying your key messaging and communicating with your target audience. Business’s change and adapt to the economic climate so there is a good chance your message has changed if your business has been running for a number of years.
 
Take a look at Marketing Donuts invaluable ‘Building a Brand - checklist’.
Do you need help shaping your story? Contact us for a FREE Health Check!