Branding 101 For Small Businesses
A common misconception among small business owners is that branding isn’t necessary. Branding is for big dogs like McDonald’s with its Golden Arches, or Nike and its inimitable slogan “Just Do It.” Wrong! Write Label has found that branding is important for even small, locally-owned businesses because it helps you stand out among competitors and tell customers what to expect from you. Branding is defined as “a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company.” Sometimes a company’s branding is so strong, its version of a product or service becomes a byword for the product or service itself. Two examples are Kleenex and Uber (which has become a verb). So your hardware store isn’t likely to supplant Ace Hardware anytime soon — but that doesn’t mean your small business can’t benefit from branding. Below are three ways to effectively brand your business, no matter its size.
- Define your brand identity
Defining your brand identity won’t happen overnight; it’s a process. You can kickstart that process by considering who are you as a company, what your mission and values are, and what kind of experience you afford your customers. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- If I had to describe my company in three words, what would they be?
- What do I want to be known for in the marketplace?
- What kind of difference do I want to make in my industry?
- Who is your ideal customer?
- What is your POD (Point of Difference)?
The more clearly these questions are answered, the more clearly you’ll be able to convey your brand identity to the public. And when your brand identity is unmistakable, you’re much more likely to distinguish yourself and stick in consumers’ minds.
2. Brand yourself through visual assets and copy
This sounds like a no-brainer, but branding your company visually and in writing is essential. Where would Hooters be without that cheeky owl reinforcing the double entendre? Would people even buy diamonds without De Beers’ singular “A diamond is forever” slogan? Once you’ve determined your brand identity, bring it to life through appropriate visual assets and copy. And if you need assistance with the copy part, Write Label is always here to help.
3. Become an expert in your field
If your advertising budget is tight, don’t worry. You can utilize the inbound marketing strategy of content marketing to establish yourself as an expert in your field, and draw prospective customers to you. Content marketing provides an opportunity to strengthen your branding through a distinctive brand “voice” that should permeate the content, whether it’s a blog post, video tutorial, etc. For example, if you own a local bakery, you could create a branded video about making your own bread — we all know baking at home has taken off during the pandemic. When searching for bread recipes, consumers will find your content, learn more about you, and get valuable takeaways. And when they tire of sourdough starters, they’ll come to you for baked goods.
