When you start a new business, you have so many tasks to accomplish, it can seem like you’ll never see the end of the tunnel. To help you out, it’s a good idea to delegate some tasks that you aren’t an expert on – like marketing and branding strategies.

Your brand is very important to your business. Your brand is your business’s personality – it’s all about your packaging, your advertising, your name, your logo – everything that presents your company and products to the world.

Branding is not something to take lightly – and hiring a branding professional to help you through the process can work wonders for you. Here are some answers to the questions you probably have about hiring a branding professional:

Why should I hire a branding pro?
A branding pro can take a look at your business plan (or if you already have a business, evaluate it how your business runs) and assess your industry marketplace to recommend a brand image. You can hire someone to just help you with the visual elements (color palette, logo, font choices), or you can hire someone who can help you decide not only the visual elements, but how you package your product and how you answer your phone.

When should I hire a branding pro?
Anytime you need a brand overhaul, or even when you are just starting your business. Even if you haven’t picked a name for your business, a branding pro can help. Your branding pro might even help you name your business, if you want that input. After all, your company name is also a part of your brand.

You should hire a branding pro before you hire other marketing or advertising people, like copywriters and designers. You want to make sure you are sending the right message from the beginning so that you don’t have to keep paying copywriters to rewrite your brochures and other marketing materials. This will save you money on catalog, brochure and booklet printing among any other kind of print materials you use – you’ll get it right the first time.

Who should I choose?
The easiest way to choose a branding professional is to do some research on the Internet. Just Google “branding agency” or “public relations agency.” Many PR firms offer branding services as well as their PR services. You can also check out marketing and advertising firms. Look through their Web sites for samples of their work, and pick out the company that impresses you the most.

Another way to find a great branding pro or branding firm is to look at other companies in your industry and pick out the ones you think do the best at communicating their brands. Call or email them and ask who they used to do their branding.

And, how much is this going to cost me?
Well, it depends on how much branding help you want. If you just need help with your visual elements, it’ll probably cost a few thousand dollars. If you need someone to do more, like design your packaging and help you brainstorm exactly what you want your brand to convey, it could costs tens of thousands of dollars. It also depends on who you’re working with. If you work with senior branding pros, it could cost upwards of $200 an hour. For junior-level pros, maybe $50-$100 an hour. Bigger branding companies tend to charge more than freelance branders. Basically you get what you pay for in the branding arena.

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