Four branding tips for start-ups and founders

A guest article by Simon Rieger, communications and PR consultant and speaker. Simon was recently part of this year’s Top 30 under 30 in the PR Report’s communications rankings. As Team Lead Brand Marketing, PR & Communications at anybill, he is committed to the positioning and visibility of the start-up and co-founder and CEO Lea Frank

As a founder, it is essential to strategically build and maintain your personal brand as well as your start-up brand. LinkedIn is an excellent communication tool for attracting customers, partners, investors and employees.

Here are four important things you should definitely bear in mind:

1. Authenticity is everything
Authenticity is the cornerstone of your communication. Both online and offline, your presence must be genuine and straightforward. Authenticity creates trust and credibility, which are essential in the start-up world. Authentic founders are perceived as honest and transparent, which strengthens long-term relationships with customers, partners, investors and even employees. So: Don’t do any communication activities that you don’t stand behind.

2. Define and differentiate your own brand
Take a close look at your personal brand. Use coaching to recognise and establish your brand and clearly define what is not part of your brand. This differentiation helps to create an unmistakable brand image that your target group will remember in the long term. Clearly communicating your values and unique selling points is crucial.

3. Invest in good images
No, quick office photos taken with a smartphone are not enough. Investing in high-quality portrait photos is a must. They should be in the golden ratio, preferably upright and sympathetic, as well as adapted to the mood of your text. Professional photo shoots help to present your brand in a visually appealing and consistent way. Good images are essential for your website, social media profiles and press appearances. Remember: “Position yourself bigger as you are!”

4. Use a mix of your personal and your company page on LinkedIn
Don’t neglect the company page on LinkedIn. A good mix of personal page and company page is important. The visibility of the personal brands should contribute to that of the company. However, employees can change companies and thus also take their reach with them. In extreme cases, the same can also happen to founders. Your strategy should therefore strengthen both the personal brand and the corporate brand. Content should reflect the company’s vision and values and offer added value for customers and partners. But never rely solely on personal branding and “never build your house purely on someone else’s land”. This means that your own company account must also be strengthened. Team content, for example, is ideal for employer branding as well as voices from customers and partners.