Branding for Small Businesses

Most small businesses have a solid business offering and are good at what they do, but their website is dated, their logo is clunky or difficult to read and they don’t look as polished as their competitors. In order to grow your business in the digital age, a professional, consistent brand image is necessary – and that starts with a solid logo and a great website. Put yourself in your potential customer’s shoes – google your services, visit your website on a phone, see what your competitors are doing. This exercise will help you position your brand for growth.

Finding what makes your company unique is the first step to not only building your brand but building brand loyalty. Building a brand seems like a big task and it can get expensive, but branding for small businesses can be achievable. Find the right partner that can work within your budget to give you the best results and maintain a polished image.

Your brand is your reputation or what a customer/potential customer thinks your business is. Branding correctly means that customers are getting an idea of your mission and values before they interact with you and then continue to have the same experience as they get to know your organization better.

Having a strong brand identity gives you a leg up on your competition. You just have to find your point of difference. What makes your company unique? What is the personality of your product, service or people? Once these questions are answered, brand development can begin to form.

What Makes a Strong Brand?

There are a few questions to consider when creating a brand. Consider what you want to be known for in your industry and what your mission and values are. The better idea you have of these concepts, the easier it is to brand your business and offer input on the final outcome.  By determining what sets you apart from your competition, you know what will draw your audience in.

While your point of difference doesn’t have to be something brand new, you don’t want to copy your competitors. Keeping track of what’s working and not working in your industry is important, but always try to add a spin on your branding campaigns. Be sure you’re giving customers a reason to choose you over your competitors. Resonating with your audience is what makes your brand strong.

Target Audience and Customer

By knowing who your target audience is and what type of person you want to attract, you can better focus on gearing your message toward them. One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is trying to be everything for everyone.

Once you have your audience figured out, it’s easier to create a marketing strategy that will reach them. A proper marketing strategy goes hand-in-hand with branding. Marketing strategy means understanding your target audience then developing a plan to reach that audience with the right message, at the right time and in the right communication vehicles.

Manage Your Brand

Your job is not done once you implement your brand. Consistent monitoring of your brand is important to see what is working and what adjustments need to be made. Using analytics, monitoring comments and discussions is a constant part of your brand.  This sounds like something that is a huge undertaking, but you can also delegate this task to a trusted partner.

Branding for Small Budgets

If you’ve gotten this far and feel like you don’t know where to begin, let us help you. Our team specializes in creative solutions for all budget types. As a small, family-owned business, we understand the importance of keeping customers coming back and getting new customers to come in.

Our in-house designers, social media strategists and marketing experts create custom pieces at competitive prices for clients in the Columbus, Ohio area as well as across the country. We can design logos, websites, social media posts, printed solutions and more. If you’re looking to brand your business without breaking the bank, we can help. Send us an email or call 614-846-8761 to get started!