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Branding is perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of running a small business.
Many small companies see themselves as a business, rather than a brand.
However, in doing this, they are missing a great opportunity.
Strong branding when done well can promote your business to a wider audience and strengthen your relationships with your existing customer base for any business, no matter the size.
In the long term, this means more sales, more revenue and ultimately more business success.
Check these top tips for advice on how to successfully brand your small business.
Find Your Voice
The most important thing about branding is knowing who you are.
Branding is all about setting yourself apart from others: so find your point of difference to your competitors and sell this. Think about what makes your business unique: what drives you? What’s your story? What do you do that other businesses don’t do?
Be as creative – the more unique your branding, the better. Finding your unique selling point as a brand and promoting it in a unique way is an almost unstoppable combination.
Be Recognisable
Branding is all about recognition. You want to create a brand with is well known and instantly recognisable, so that potential customers will associate certain attributes with your business when they see it, and ultimately buy your products or services.
The first step is to come up with a strong, recognisable business name which represents you.
This should also preferably easily convey what you do to your audience.
Then, be sure to create logos and other graphics which are clearly recognisable.
Most importantly, all of these elements need to speak to your brand and the image that you are putting across.
Be Consistent Across The Board
When forming your brand, it is critical that you roll it out consistently across the board.
Everything you do in business should be absolutely on point with your branding, from your logo and slogans, to all online communications and even how you conduct customer service.
If you attend trade shows, make sure your booth not only echoes, but promotes your brand.
There are some great options for exhibition stand design in London which will help you create a trade show booth which is consistent with, and sells your brand.
Build a Community
Some of the most successful brands are those which are built on the shoulders of their customer base.
Having a well-established community which supports the brand builds so much more trust than simply trying to build trust in the brand itself.
You don’t need to be a big brand to build a strong community following, however.
Even small businesses can build active communities of customers or users, either online or offline.
As a small business with limited resources, it is best to focus on one platform – such as a particular social media channel or online forum – and build your community there.
Be Appropriate
As a small business, your approach to branding will be different to that of a large company, so don’t try to mimic the look and feel of a corporate, international or chain brand.
In fact, the unique nature of a small, independent brand can be a strength: consumers are more likely to trust these kinds of brands, they come across more authentic, and can even translate as higher quality and better value.
So much so that there are a number of large companies that have tried to mimic the branding of a small, independent business in order to capture these benefits.
So be sure not to miss out on this advantage, and have your branding reflect your status as a small, independent operation.
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