How Much Does Start-Up Branding Really Cost?

As a startup, you need to define your brand first, since the communication materials you develop, such as your logo and website, should reflect your brand image. Presenting your brand to the world isn’t cheap, but your brand sets you apart from the competition and intimately determines if your startup becomes a success.

Positioning Your Brand – Free

You need to position your startup in the marketplace and give consumers a reason to buy from your company. Do you want your product or service to be the cheapest, the highest quality or the most prestigious? Ideally, find a position with the least amount of competition and strive to fill an unmet need. 

Naming Your Brand – $5,000 and up

Your name should communicate your brand. Deciding on a company name is more difficult than it sounds because you also need a tagline. If you cannot come up with the perfect name and tagline on your own, there are companies that specialize in finding a unique name that reflects your brand. They can charge anywhere from $5,000 and up. 

Logo Design – $140 and up

Logo designers charge about $100 for a professional logo, although you’ll pay more for custom typography and illustrations. If you buy a $5 from Fiverr, you’ll have a logo that looks like it costs $5. Make sure you copyright your logo, this usually costs about $40 online. 

Domain, Website and Hosting- $5,000 and up

You can purchase a domain for $20 or less. Always purchase your own domain; do not let your website designer do it for you. You can purchase shared hosting from $5 a month and up; you can always upgrade your hosting account as your traffic increases. Always buy hosting from a reputable website host so your website will load quickly. 

Hiring a website developer is the most expensive part of building your brand. If you can build your website yourself, you can save a great deal of money, however, you can’t just pick a WordPress template and use it to reflect your brand. You need a custom website, even if it’s build using WordPress or another content management system. You website should reflect your brand through color, images, illustrations, typography and text. A good designer will ask you about your brand, your target audience and what your goals are for your website so they can develop your website to reflect your brand. 

Printed Materials – $200 and up

You’ll need business cards, brochures, invoices and other printed materials depending on the industry you are in. Expect to pay $200 and up depending on what you initially need. 

Social Media Management – $1,000 a month and up 

Your startup’s social media presence should reflect your brand on the platforms you select. If no one at your company excels at creating posts or pins, hire a PR firm to manage your social media accounts and engage your followers. 

Building your brand can cost well over $10,000, depending on how much of the work you can do yourself.