Define Your Brand Identity in 3 Steps Developing your brand identity is far more than just a logo.

A brand identity consists of the business values, and how the brand communicates those values through its products and services. It's what the brand says, how it is visually represented with images and design, and what the brand intends customers to feel when they interact with its products. Essentially, a brand identity is the physicality and personality of your business.

A brand identity is important for a few reasons. It's a template for your promotional assets, which means everything your customers are going to see from the logo on your business's social profile to the product description copy on your e-commerce website. A well-defined brand identity, which aligns with the company's values, helps build trust.

A strong brand identity is especially important for online businesses that lack the physical elements that represent your brand. Good branding, like good wine, is going to take some work and time. Let's take a look at how you can start to build your brand identity in three simple steps.

Related: 4 Key Strategies Small Retailers Need for a Healthy Business

Branding starts with people

Branding starts with customers. Customers find out about the brand much like the way they get to know someone. It's the first impression and the first few exchanges that get them intrigued about the brand. Once they're excited to know more about your brand, they're in the game--they're ready to become customers and feel the sense of belonging that comes with identifying with a brand.

Branding starts with your employees. They're the first brand ambassadors of your company. Internal branding, from designing the team structure to training the people who make up the teams, is also a part of building a brand identity. Internal branding brings the company's core culture onto the employees at all levels so that they can be the true representatives of the brand to the customers.

Related: What Vans Can Teach Us About Influencer Marketing

Branding maintains its intrinsic values

A brand identity aligns with the company's values, and it must maintain the core values, however redefined, as the brand grows. The logo and catchphrase of a brand may evolve over time, but they evolve with consistency in mind-- consistency to brand identity. And the company values give depth and direction to the brand identity.

A brand identity should not be in the customer's face, but it shouldn't be inconspicuous either. The brand identity should be communicated through the brand's logos, typography, colors, packaging and messaging. For instance, an organic baby food company could try to stimulate the five senses in their brand identity. Parents and the babies could salivate over the lickable product images of cross sections of fruits on a jar of organic fruits. Their logo and typography could communicate cleanliness and perhaps a dose of cuteness and warmth. Its product copy could read singsongly. The ideas are endless.

Let your customers experience your brand identity from the start to the end of a customer journey. Consistent brand identity and design tone and manner increases brand consistency, which is a stepping stone for brands to build awareness and develop trust and loyalty with customers.

Related: Connecting the World with Your Vision: 5 Expert Tips to Brand Your New Business