For small business branding to work, you need two things: a quality product or service and the right marketing strategy to reach prospects and clients.
Your small business brand is how prospects and customers perceive your business. It is more than your logo, tagline or visual design. It is the word or feeling that comes to mind when people see your logo or interact with you. Here are four strategies to use to help you build your brand.
- Strive to own a short word or phrase. Pick one or two words you want people to associate with your company and use that in all your marketing materials. Mercedes-Benz chose “engineering.” Coors light chose “cold beer.” Apple chose “think different.” UPS chose “brown.” Pick one clear message you want to convey and stick with it.
- Be consistent. Branding takes time to develop. If you want people to associate your word or phrase with your company, you need repeated exposure. Be consistent with your use of logos, taglines, visual design, tone and advertising message. All marketing materials such as your brochures, website, mailings, and print advertising should convey the same message and feel.
- Be relevant. Who is your target audience? Learn as much as you can about them and always answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” Make sure your brand message matters to your audience.
- Give people a reason to buy. Fortune 500 companies can afford to spend millions of dollars on advertising. Small-businesses can’t. Each of your brochures, websites and ads should make a compelling offer and provide a call to action. If you solely try to own a word, it could take years for you to see results. Include some elements of direct response advertising in all of your materials so you help motivate people to take action.
Your small business brand is built as customers interact with you, your staff, your marketing materials, or any other aspect of your business. Each positive or negative experience affects how they perceive your brand. How do you want prospects and customers to perceive you?
Join our weekly Marketing Success mailing list and receive our free 43-page Small Business Marketing Plan guide. 
