What does come to your mind when you think about the word brand or branding? How do you brand your small business? Is it some big and top-notch company that is selling their products for a certain target market that usually affords luxuries? If yes then would you be surprised to know that’s not what the brand is just about? By having a brand you have a way of connecting and communicating with your customers and supposedly potential customers. That is the shortest and most concise way of understanding the brand.
However, if you are someone who hopes to have a business of their own be it a little cute café or even some services you provide from home then it is absolutely necessary that you understand what is a brand. And how you can brand your own product or how you can brand your small business.
So first off let’s understand what is a brand.
A brand is a name and identity that you give to your product or services in order to help it stand out in front of its competitor and let your target market or customer differentiate your brand from that of the competitor. The identity is given by giving it a distinctive name, a logo, a trademark, and a tagline that your customers will remember for a long time and can recall when the product or service category that you work in is mentioned.
The importance of creating a brand could be understood by the fact that there are people who are providing professional branding services. This may include web design services and there are other custom logo design agencies as well that just specialize in providing you the creative solutions for your problems.
Now, after reading this you are confused as to how all this can help you or how you can brand your small business when usually branding is related to market leaders like Walmart, Nike, H&M, etc. So, don’t you worry! Here are some ways to help you create a brand for yourself.
8 Tips on How To Brand Your Small Business
1. Focus on Individuality
The first step in creating more than just a product is by creating an individual, yes, you read it right! Giving an identity to your brand means you need to treat it like an individual and like any individual has an identity that they stand by and that differentiates them, that is how you will have to treat your brand. Whenever you will talk to professionals they will always talk about giving your brand a voice and an identity. If that has ever confused you then it shouldn’t anymore. By defining it as an individual or treating it as a human you will eventually give it a voice and individuality as well that everyone talks about.
Now, how do you do that? Take a pen and pad and sketch down how you see your brand as an individual, how will you define it if it will be a human? This method will not only help you but will also help your agent when or if you will reach out to them in search of complete branding solutions.
Look at any big brand and you will see how each has been given a personality to themselves, as Apple defines itself as innovative, Nike shows that it is full of excitement while being tough and rugged and on the other hand, coco-cola is the epitome of happiness. Thus, identify yourself through a personality and you can even use five personality models, to begin with.
2. Explain the Meaning of your Brand
If we have talked about the personality then it is very important to talk about the motive and meaning of your brand. This factor is closely linked with the one above as it will explain the intention that you have for your brand and your goals. For example, you might act as delicate and sweet towards your customer but if you aren’t clear about what you want to represent as a brand then it will be a bit problematic.
Therefore, when you sit and draw a personality of your brand it is necessary that you also clear out your purpose and aim. This will help you avoid contradiction between what you want and what you need and will help you design a brand that has a much clearer idea about itself. Customers also get attracted to the brands that they understand and relate to rather than confusing ones. There are various online branding services that you can approach to work with and identify the meaning of your brand.
3. Specify your Customer Base
After you have creatively designed your brand personality and decided how you will showcase it in front of the people, competitors, and the entire market, it becomes extremely necessary that you outline the main features of your customer base. Your customer base or your target customer is the people that you mainly want to sell your product to. For example, you can’t show teenagers and attract teenagers if you are working on diapers that will just not make sense! Similarly, you can’t promote alcoholic beverages among minors that is a crime.
So the next thing that you need to do is identify the age limit, gender, location, financial status, and even educational backgrounds that you want to target. You can’t market feminine products to males and you can’t sell extremely organic and expensive scrubs and masks to those who are struggling to meet ends. Hence, if we bluntly put it you need to understand the people that you are willing to sell and provide your products. This step will also help you in designing and advertising your product in an effective way.
4. Create a Logo
You have created a brand name, you have decided on its identity, and you are even confident about the people that you want to target but what will help you in setting a mark for your brand? This is where custom logo design agencies enter your life to make it all easy for you. Look around and you’ll see a local coffee shop will also have a logo that differentiates it from others in town. A diner that is just in your town will have a logo as well. Even someone who is planning to start a small knitting business is looking to have a proper logo that will help its customers identify them.
Therefore, when you plan to start your own small business start working on a logo as well as this is one of the key components that identify a product as a brand. This becomes essential for one more reason that is there are multiple players in the market that are doing the same thing as you but your logo will act as a face to your brand and will represent the meaning, identity, and name of your brand. Henceforth, when the time comes don’t shy away from investing in the best custom logo design company that will give you a professional-looking logo that your customer will remember for a long time.
5. Have a Website
It can’t be emphasized enough how absolutely crucial it is that you have a website, especially in this fast-running era of technology. We are living in a time where everything is just some clicks and taps away and in this era, you surely don’t want to miss out on the needs and demands of your customers by not being online.
There are several web design companies that provide the services of designing professional and efficient websites for your company. Investing in one is a great idea even as a small venture because when people and your target customer will search up the product line that you work on then by coming across your website they will be inclined towards your offerings.
Moreover, the above strategy also helps in expanding and creating more customers as when people will search and come across your website they will tend to experience the product that you are offering. Also, an online presence in this era also helps in improving the credibility and position of your company. Build a website that is based on your products, and the personality of your brand and is easily accessible to your customers.
6. Expand your Community
Next up in line is expanding your community, this is a way of connecting with your existing and potential customers. Customers adore and appreciate the brands that give them value and are loyal to them which makes it important for the brand, especially in this era that they work to expand and connect with their customers. There are several industry giants that are solely profiting by connecting and expanding their communities. This is what as a new venture and relatively small business you can do as well.
The best way of doing this is to approach some local but influential personalities of your area and reach out to them with your products. Local bloggers and vloggers are a great way through which you can expand your business as these people have a good amount of fan following that can become your potential customer.
Even Gucci is including famous bloggers in its brand so you can include some locally famous ones as well. Moreover, have a blog on your own website and ask people to contribute as guest writers on your website and this will spread the word about your business. Various professional branding services will help you link up with the right people!
7. What differentiates you from Others?
This is a highly important point as well! No matter what business you are planning to start chances are multiple other people around you are already doing it. Nevertheless, it is in your hands how you make yourself stand out among all these competitors. More importantly, if you are willing to attract customers then you will have to identify your point of differentiation that differs from your customer. This factor will act as your strength and your product will be identified by this strength.
Take the example of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, they both are carbonated drinks but each has a very different and quite loyal market base. Those who drink Pepsi will hardly come towards Coca-Cola while Coca-Cola drinkers aren’t satisfied with any other drink. Now, what’s much different in these two? Both are black and both are carbonated! It’s the taste that differs them and it differs them greatly. Moreover, where the former expresses happiness with family and friends, the latter promotes music, fun, and games. See? How your unique selling point creates a differentiation.
8. Create a Mission and Vision Statement
The next point that is essential when it comes to branding your small business is having a proper mission and vision statement. One defines what you want now while the other defines what you want from your business in the long run. Search any big name either from the service sector or the manufacturing sector you will see each will have a well-defined mission and vision statement. If you are wondering why as a small venture you want one? The answer is simple; to help you grow and prosper in the later years.
A mission statement will remind you on a daily basis about why you started what are your goals and how are you going to achieve them. Whereas, a vision statement will help you understand your purpose in the long run and will help you become a prominent figure in the market and in front of your customers. As much as these two will help you they will also motivate your employees and customers equally.
Conclusion;
Branding might seem a big and extra-ordinary step but it definitely is not! The reason being, when you have worked hard in starting something of your own that will help you create an identity for yourself it is only fair that you also give an identity to your business as well. This will help you in achieving all that you have hoped for in your business and will also give a liberating and independent life for you as a person.
Now, if after reading this, you are confused about how all this can help you or how you can brand your small business, especially when branding is typically associated with market leaders like Walmart, Nike, H&M, etc, find out here now.
Author Bio:– Bryan Fernandez is a professional brand enthusiast. She also love’s to write blog niches related to brand marketing and design, currently working as a brand manager at Design Turtle!
Tags: Brand Your Small Business, Branding, Brand Building
Read Related Blog: How Can Nonprofit Organizations Drive Traffic Through Social Media?