Here’s a quick checklist post of things to make sure you don’t miss when launching a new brand.

Of course even before the brand launch you need to do a couple of things, including…

• Think about and research terms that your target market use. Sure, the brand name can be something totally unrelated and unique, but a) it’s not a bad idea to have a name that relates somehow to the industry when possible and b) you really need to understand what phrases and terms your ideal customer relates to your solution.
  • That “b” is a pretty big deal. Just because you’d related a certain phrase or keywords with your solution, that doesn’t mean that most people do the same. Take some time to do some market research and also some search engine keyword research. A few hours up front in this area can save a lot of time and headache later.
• Check on trademarks to make sure no one else has already locked in the name, phrase, or word that you’re hoping to brand around. Better to figure this out right up front rather than having to do a rebrand later because someone else already trademarked something.

Okay, you’ve got the name, feel comfortable with the market terms, and you’re clear on the trademark, now…

1. Get the domain name. If the standard .com isn’t available, consider some small variations before jumping on another extension option (like .net or .biz). It seems fairly common now, with the decreasing number of cool domains available, for people to do things like myIdealDomain.com or yourIdealDomain.com or getIdealDomain.com.
2. Set up a Google Plus page for the business. It doesn’t seem like a lot of people use Google Plus, but no reason not to play Google’s game with them. I don’t know that it specifically helps with search, but it can’t hurt. And it is one more external source that can link to your main site.
3. Set up a Google for Business Page. This is what shows in a Google Maps search. Claim your business name and physical address so that you can show up in location searches. When you initially set this up Google will mail a postcard to the address with a PIN number that you need to enter and confirm you really do get mail at that address.
4. Set up a LinkedIn page for the new brand. LinkedIn is a great source for new business leads – and also some really good contacts for other people and businesses to partner with. Get this set up and share the page to your network.
5. Set up your Twitter account. Grab the exact brand name if possible, but Twitter does have a limit on the number of characters it allows for handles, so you might have to get creative. Still, get something set up and you can name it whatever you want – the name doesn’t have to match the Twitter account handle.
6. Set up your Facebook page. Set it up, add some basic information (including a link to your main site), a cover image (use a site like Canva.com for a quick solution), and your logo (if you have it yet). Then start inviting people to like your page.
7. Set up an Instagram account. I’m not a big fan of Instagram, but I know that a lot of younger people use it – a lot! So if that is part of your target market, you should plan on accounting for this in your marketing plan. Even if you don’t plan to leverage Instagram right away, I’d still grab an account and have it ready.
8. Set up a YourTube account. You might not have thought about video at all, but that could be a mistake. Video is more and more popular lately for marketing (and general information). YouTube videos also show up in search results, so this gives you a bit more exposure – assuming you not only create the account but also put some videos online.

Make sure you’ve taken care of these 8 key items when initially launching your brand. It’s no fun to later go to set one of these up only to find out some squatter or person has taken the ideal branding name ahead of you.

Cheers!