Branding tips for small businesses
You hear the term “brand” used often when people talk about business and marketing, but what does it actually mean to brand your business? Is it having a nice logo and a great colour scheme?
Yes, but it also means much more. A company’s brand is the psychological and emotional associations that people make with its products and services. It is how a company is perceived and what it means to people. If you are not sure how to get started branding your small business, here are three simple steps.
1. Figure out your target market
Before you determine how you want to present your company, you need to know who your potential customers are. Companies do this by developing “personas”, fictional characters that represent the people they want to reach.
Are you selling children’s books? If so, a likely persona is a busy 30-something mum who is very family orientated.
High-end work shirts for gents? Then your persona might be a male business owner in their 50s.
Take time to brainstorm all the personas who might be interested in your product or service.
2. Develop a brand identity
Once you know your personas, then decide how you want them to perceive your business. This will be your identity. Do you want to be known for honesty and on-time service? Or for top quality products and craftsmanship? What about for low prices and fast delivery?
When people think about your brand, how do you want them to feel? This identity is important because it is what will separate you from the competition.
3. Consistent social media presence
Once you know your personas and identity, then it is time to start marketing your brand. Large companies do this by buying television ads, radio ads, Google ads, Facebook ads and more. Small companies and start-ups usually do not have these kinds of marketing budgets. Luckily, social media levels the playing field by letting small businesses expand their reach through posting (Facebook), tweeting (Twitter) and pinning (Pinterest) at no cost.
The key is to maintain a consistent social media presence by using one voice, one logo, one colour scheme and one company name across all platforms. Then, as your company grows, you can build on your social media presence by building a unique relationship with your audience through more engaging content and interactions across these services.
It is important to start off on the right foot when branding your company. As they say, first impressions count. Take time to develop personas and an identity. Then manage your social media accounts with care.