Imagine being in a crowd of hundreds or even thousands of people just like you. That's what your business is in the modern world with hundreds and thousands of other providing the same product & services as you are. The only way you can stand out from the rest is with the power of branding. While most of us feel that "I'll build a brand once we are established and have an adequate cash flow or revenues", but unfortunately that's a big mistake.
Branding needs to be done before you start, in order to build a reputation and recognition the little things do wonders in the long run. You want people to remember your product or services, solve a problem, or make them feel good.
Here are our top branding ideas for small businesses to stand out:
You have to be memorable.
While most brands try changing their branding and adopting a modern feel & look, this may work against your purpose. If you have an Identity that is recognized and has been working well, then there is no reason to change to a modern look. Like Coca-Cola, which modernized it's logo and branding. It has now gone back to it's original branding & logo. Be memorable and not modern. Celebrate your heritage through messaging & communication. Build and identity step by step that makes you memorable and not just 'cool'.
Keep your social media updated.
Don't stick to just one platform or one kind of content format. Explore all social media apps and sites from Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter & YouTube. Restricting your presence to select platforms will reduce your reach to a select demographic. Posting consistently on all platforms and in various formats will help you identify your core audience. It's 2022 and everyone is now online somewhere.
Make Sure your profiles on all platforms are consistent, the colours, fonts, logo need to be the same. If not, then you might confuse your audience. Consistency is the key in branding.
Get people talking.
A brand is what people think it is and not what you project it to be. There's nothing as solid as mouth to mouth publicity. No amounts of paid campaigns can do what genuine customers have the power to do. Get your existing customers, clients and fans talking about you. Grow ambassadors and not just customers. Onboard influencers who would speak about your products and services, current trends highlight the growing influencer market owning to it's high efficiency.
Create an experience but don't ignore the little things.
While in the process of building a business and a brand around it, we miss out on the little tings that act like fine cement between the larger bricks. Customer service, response time, accessibility, branding consistency on stationery and even simplified payment process. Simple things like a banded uniform or a branded carry bag and other stationery uplifts your game exponentially. Always remember, a brand is more than a person or address, it represents an in tangible experience.
Focus on your core values.
Stand for something. Be it for the environment, social justice or anything else. Today it is very important for brands to have core values for their customers to relate to. Social enterprises have effective impact on human lives. Whatever you may stand for, make sure you make yourself heard.
Small business branding is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Investing time to ensure clarity and development of a professional business brand is essential. A brand is the critical business driver to all communications, and it’s what impacts every aspect of your business.
Make the right first impression of your business with JT
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