3 Tips to Make Your New Brand Look More Legit

One of the biggest problems entrepreneurs struggle with when they’re just starting out is establishing themselves as new working professionals. When you’re on your own and starting a business from the ground up, it’s up to you to make your brand look professional, attractive, and trustworthy so customers are willing to interact with you. This can be tricky when you’re working with a small budget.

Fortunately, there are a few ways you can make your brand look and feel more legit so you don’t need to feel embarrassed when you hand out your business cards. Here are three tips you can use to take your branding up a notch.

1. Set up a professional address

If you’re running an online shop and working from home, a great way to make your business feel more legitimate is to set up a professional address and a P.O. box. You can get these things through virtual office services, which provide you with a mailing address you can give suppliers and customers without outright putting where you live on your website. A professional address alleviates any personal or privacy concerns when running a business from home. A P.O. box is also a great alternative to sending packages to your home where they could be swiped by porch pirates.

2. Take some professional headshots

You may be tempted to use a really good selfie for your website or blog when establishing your brand. It’s certainly a way to save money! Unfortunately, DIY headshots can sometimes make a business owner look a little less professional. Consider reaching out to local photographers in your area and ask about their rates. 

Make sure that you’re dressed professionally in your headshots, too. You don’t necessarily need to wear a pantsuit, but a business casual outfit will work wonders. If you haven’t been able to see the dentist in the last six months, either, because of the pandemic, don’t be afraid to give whitening strips a try. Depending on your budget, these might be your only headshots for a while, so you want to make sure they’re on point and made to last.

3. Try out some merch

There’s a reason why businesses invest in company merchandise like embroidered patches, pens, and shirts and it’s because it’s a great marketing tactic. The reason for this is that merch lets other people know about your brand outside of where you would otherwise be able to advertise. 

For instance, when you’re running an online business, you’re typically writing over 1,500 words of content just to boost your organic search results on Google to get someone to notice your business. When you wear or have friends and family wear merchandise, you’re getting people to notice your business outside of the Internet and without having to do any additional marketing.

Establishing yourself as a new business, especially as an entrepreneur, can be challenging. But it’s a worthwhile endeavor that has a lot of benefits. Try out some of the tips above to see how you can take your branding to the next level.