Branding for startups: A step-by-step guide

When you’re starting a company, one of the most overlooked, but most important, tasks is creating a brand.

Most founders focus on building the product or getting users, which makes sense.

But at some point, you realise your startup needs more than just a good product—it needs a story, an identity that resonates with people. That's what branding is.

Research from Harvard Business School shows 95% of buying decisions aren’t logical. They're subconscious. That's what makes branding the difference between being remembered and being forgotten.

Whether you're bootstrapping or backed by investors, you can create a strong brand that connects with your audience—without overcomplicating it.

In this article, we’ll talk about how to build a great brand for your startup—one that can grow with your company and help you stand out in a crowded market.

What is a brand

Your brand is more than a logo or a catchy name. It’s the experience people have when they interact with your company. A strong brand:

• Builds trust with customers.
• Differentiates you from competitors.
• Simplifies decisions for your audience—they know who you are and what you stand for.

Think about it: People don’t just buy Nike shoes; they buy the idea of excellence.

Your brand shapes perception—and perception drives decisions. Decisions about whether customers like you, and whether they are going to choose you to solve their problems.

Why branding matters for startups

Here’s what most founders do: they chase quick wins. A few Facebook ads, maybe a Google promo—anything to bring in revenue today.

And sure, performance marketing can give you that dopamine hit of immediate sales. But here’s the problem: those are short-term gains. They won’t save you when things get tough.

If you want to build something that lasts, you need to invest in branding. Branding is a long game. You won’t feel it right away, but smart founders know it’s what keeps you alive 5, 10, 20 years from now.

Marketing giants Les Binet and Peter Field wrote a book on this—The Long and the Short of It. They argue if you don’t balance short-term sales tactics with long-term brand building, you’ll get stuck.

You might make a quick buck now, but without a strong brand, you’re just another “me-too” company.

A strong brand is your insurance policy for the future. It builds loyalty, makes customer acquisition easier, and reduces price sensitivity. Now let’s talk about how you craft that brand.

How to build a startup brand

Defining your startup’s core identity is like laying the foundation of a house. Get it wrong, and everything you build on top will feel shaky.

Yet many founders skip this step because they think branding is about picking colours or designing a sleek logo. But that’s only a slither of the pie.

Branding starts with clarity about who you are and why anyone should care.

Step 1: Define your core identity

Before you do anything else, ask yourself three questions:

• 1. What problem do we solve? Be brutally specific. If you can’t articulate the problem in a single sentence, it’s a sign you don’t fully understand it yet. Example: “We help busy parents save time on meal planning.”

• 2. Who is our target audience? Don’t just say “everyone” or “millennials.” Startups win by targeting a narrow audience and serving them better than anyone else. Example: “Working parents aged 30–45 who value convenience and health.”

• 3. What makes us different? Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is what sets you apart. It’s not enough to be “better.” You have to be different in a way your audience values.

Your messaging should explain who you are and why people should care—in plain language. Avoid buzzwords like “innovative” or “revolutionary.” They’re filler. Clarity wins.

Use this formula: “We help [target audience] solve [problem] by providing [unique solution].”

Examples

• Bad: “We innovate meal planning for busy parents.” Sounds impressive but says nothing.
• Good: “We help busy parents save 5 hours a week with personalised meal kits delivered to their door.” Clear, direct, and focused on benefits.

Do you see the difference? One makes a promise you can picture. The other feels like hollow.

From this, you can start to tell your story. Humans are wired for stories. It’s been that way since we sat around fires drawing on cave walls.

Your brand is your story. It’s more than your product, it’s why you exist. What problem are you solving? Why should anyone care?

Your story should make people feel something. It should be emotional, personal, and unique to you.

But no branding message is perfect out of the gate. The good news is, you don’t have to guess.

Test your messaging with real people. Their reactions will tell you everything you need to know. You can do this with surveys and forms, but the best way is to talk to them in person.

Step 2: Pick a memorable name

Your name is the first thing people see, hear, and remember. It’s your first impression, and if you mess this up, good luck crawling out of that hole.

Your name is your first impression. It should be:

• Short and simple: Easy to say and spell.
• Relevant: Reflect your product or mission.
• Flexible: Leaves room for growth.

Remember when Amazon was just a bookstore? Now they sell everything under the sun. Their name didn’t pigeonhole them.

Same with Google, Slack, or Uber—names that are simple, flexible, adaptable, and memorable.

At Stone & Chalk, our name comes from the saying: "Some things are set in stone, the rest is written in chalk." We know that while a few foundations stay firm, the future always changes. And we want to play a part in shaping it.

Don’t be clever for the sake of being clever. Be clear. And make sure your name aligns with your story and your brand voice.

Brainstorm 10–20 names and test them with friends, family, or potential customers. Prioritise clarity over cleverness, just like your messaging.

Step 3: Build your identity

Now, what about your brand? How do you want to come across? Start with a list of adjectives that describe your brand—narrow it down to three. That’s your voice.

You need to use that voice everywhere. From your social media posts to your customer service emails, that voice needs to be consistent. People trust consistency.

Let's look at a real-world example:

• Apple: Confident, cool, minimalist.

• Nike: Motivational, empowering, bold.

These brands have spent decades honing their voices, so no matter where you interact with them—ads, social media, emails—you know exactly who they are. And you trust them.

From this you build out your visual identity. This is how people recognise your brand at a glance. Which means it needs to not only fit with your company, but also stand out from the competition.

Let’s start with the essentials.

First, the logo.

A good logo is simple and adaptable. It should look as sharp on a business card as it does on a billboard. Complexity is the enemy here; clean designs win.

Think of Nike’s swoosh, Apple’s bitten apple, McDonald’s golden arches. You could spot those logos from a mile away. That’s the goal.

Next, colours.

Use no more than three primary colours to avoid overcluttering your designs.

Research what they convey to the average person: blue for trust, green for growth or sustainability, and so on. There’s a whole art and science behind it.

Your colours should align with what your brand stands for. Once you’ve chosen, commit to them. There’s nothing more jarring than a brand that changes its palette like a chameleon.

Then typography.

Stick to one or two fonts. One for headings, one for body text. Clean, readable fonts work best.

Overly decorative fonts might feel fun, but they’re hard to scale and can quickly date your brand.

Finally, think about tone.

Your visual identity isn’t just what people see—it’s also what they hear. Decide on a consistent writing style.

Are you formal and professional, or casual and conversational? A brand is like a person. It needs a personality. And the way your brand talks? That’s its voice.

Now create your basic style guide.

A style guide is a document that outlines the rules and standards for how your brand presents itself to the world.

Think of it as a blueprint for consistency across all your communications, whether it’s your website, social media, emails, or packaging.

That is the secret sauce of branding: consistency. A consistent identity builds trust. Every touchpoint should feel like it came from the same place. Disjointed branding makes people feel unsure about you, and that’s fatal.

It doesn’t have to be fancy—just a simple document with your logo, colour codes, and fonts.

Good branding is about clarity and consistency. If every element of your brand reinforces the others, people will remember you. And being remembered is half the battle.

Step 4: Put your brand into the world

Building a brand can feel overwhelming, like staring at a blank canvas and wondering where to start. But here’s the good news: you don’t need to get it perfect—you just need to get it out there.

A strong place to start is your website.

Your website is your digital storefront. It’s where people go to decide if you’re worth their time.

All you need is one to three pages to get started:

• Homepage: This is your first impression, so make it count. At the top, include your brand statement—one clear sentence about what you do and why it matters. Follow it up with a call-to-action, like “Sign up now” or “Try it free.” Add a visual that explains your product at a glance. People should understand what you offer within seconds.
• About us: The About page is where you get personal. Share your mission and story. Why did you start this business? Be human here—people connect with people, not faceless companies.
• Contact us: Don’t overthink this. Include an email, a phone number if it makes sense, and a simple contact form. The goal is to make it easy for people to reach you.

For specific campaigns or audiences, landing pages are key. These are standalone pages tailored to one purpose—maybe promoting a product or capturing email sign-ups. They’re focused and uncluttered, which makes them effective.

If you’re just getting started, tools like Wix, Wordpress, Squarespace, or Webflow are your friends for building an affordable, professional website. Selling products? Shopify makes e-commerce a breeze.

Now, let’s talk social media.

You don’t need to be everywhere, just where your audience is. Pick one or two platforms that make sense for your brand. If you’re targeting professionals, LinkedIn might be your best bet. For lifestyle brands, Instagram often wins.

Consistency is critical. Use the same handle across platforms. Upload your logo as your profile picture, and make sure your bio is clear and compelling. For example:

• “We help busy parents save time with personalised meal kits. 🌟 Free trial: [link]”

Finally, remember: done is better than perfect. Pick a platform or two and start posting valuable content.

The goal isn’t to be perfect right away. The goal is to show up. Once you’re in the game, you can refine and grow.

Tools and resources to create your brand

There are a few different ways you can go about building your brand identity:

• Do it yourself: If you've got some design and marketing talent in your team, you might want to handle it in-house. You'll have full control and could save some cash, but it can be a real time-suck, and the outcome will depend on the skills you’ve got available.

• Hire a branding agency: If you're after a polished, professional look, a branding agency could be the way to go. They specialise in creating strong, memorable brands and will help with everything from your logo to your messaging. It's a good option if you don’t have the expertise in-house but be ready to pay for that quality.

• Work with a freelance designer: Not quite ready to hire a whole agency? A freelance designer might be the sweet spot. They can help with specific tasks like designing a logo or creating brand guidelines, giving you flexibility on budget and scope. Just make sure their style lines up with your vision.

• Use online tools: If you're on a tight budget, online tools like Canva or Tailor Brands are great DIY options. They have ready-made templates and designs that are super easy to use, letting you whip up a logo or brand assets quickly. Just keep in mind that the design might not be as unique as something custom-made, and ownership rights can be limited with third-party graphics.

Each option has its perks, so think about what resources you have and what kind of brand identity you want to create before deciding which path to take.

How to use and grow your brand

Here’s the secret that no one tells you: branding is never finished.

It’s not something you can throw together once and call it a day. It’s a living, breathing thing. It grows with you, evolves with your startup, and needs constant nurturing.

And as you scale, your brand should scale too. That means checking in, making sure your visuals, your voice, and your story are still aligned with where your company is headed.

At the end of the day, branding is what separates the forgettable from the iconic. It’s what takes you from startup obscurity to household name. But it’s up to you to build it, to protect it, and to make it grow.

And if you build a strong brand? You build something that sticks. Something that outlives trends, pivots, and market shifts. Something that makes people remember you, trust you, and come back to you time and time again.

That’s the power of branding. Now go out there and build yours.