How to BRAND your Small Business
In this article, you’ll learn the 5 essentials for creating a successful brand design for small business.
If you are like most small business owners, your business is probably your passion, your dream, your “baby.” I believe that a key component to making your dream a reality is a successful branding package. You don’t have to have everything that your competitors have, but a couple of key branding decisions could drastically effect the longevity and potential of your business.
So what exactly is your brand? In the old days, a brand was a way to mark your cattle so that if they wandered off or were stolen they could be easily identified by the symbol that you had marked them with. It is honestly not much different today. Your brand may not end up on the rear end of a steer; however, it will be printed on business cards, letterheads, t-shirts, banners, etc.
Is your brand powerful enough that when used in these scenarios it is easy to identify?
Your brand starts with your identity, both personally and as a company. How people think of your company is a direct reflection of your branding and can be a costly mistake if not done well.
According to BusinessDictionary.com, branding is: “The process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers‘ mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.”
It’s important to note that branding is much more than simply a logo. Your logo does play an important role in your branding, but it’s not the only piece that influences peoples opinion of your company. Everything from how you handle customer service, the in-store experience, and even the colors used are all critical to making sure you are conveying the right message about your business.
Here’s my list of the 5 branding essentials for small businesses:
- Logo – This should be something simple and easy to identify as yours.
- Website – We live in a digital society where people’s first reaction is to check a companies validity by googling the name or visiting the website. Make sure your website is using modern design standards, has current content, is atheistically pleasing and is consistent with your overall messaging.
- Business Card – Business cards are somewhat old school but are still extremely valuable for exchanging information. Your card should be easy to read with clear contact information and designed in a way that people will never want to throw it away.
- Letterhead – Often overlooked by new businesses, an amazing letterhead design can set you apart from your competition. Early on, your small business will need to create a lot of new documents or contracts, and having a predesigned letterhead will help even the simplest of forms come across as professional which will help to positively promote your brand.
- Wording – Focus on your company’s messaging. This messaging should remain consistent across all of your media formats and easily identify what makes you different. Consider creating a short tagline that accompanies your logo.
A professional branding package could be the best investment you’ve ever made. Let’s get started today!
If you are interested in learning more about small business marketing, I recommend downloading my free eBook “THE EXPERIENCE: How to create a SMALL BUSINESS EXPERIENCE that SELLS.”
*Remember to update your website’s mobile friendliness before April 21st or risk being removed from Google Search Results: Google announces “mobile-friendly” label
