Making the Most of Your Small Business Brand

Making the Most of Your Small Business Brand

Branding involves creating a clear identity for your business. This identity will be something perceived by customers, potential customers, competitors, and the community in general. Although many think of branding as limited to the logo, it involves many aspects of the business. Branding is not as simple as creating a logo and trademark shopping bag, it’s an ongoing process you’ll need to develop and support for as long as you own or run the business. A strong brand will increase the chances that people will choose your product or service rather than that of a competitor.

Read on in this guide from Photography by Misty to learn more about branding your small business.

What makes up a brand?

Your brand shapes how customers perceive your business. This includes your company’s mission, the products and services offered, the atmosphere in your store and on your website, the packaging for your products, the causes you sponsor, your marketing strategies, how your employees treat customers, and the prices you charge. You can begin by thinking about the purpose of your business– its mission and the things that customers really like about your business and/or products, and what you want to be known for. Your logo should be a quick way to visually convey your brand.

How to go about creating your brand

Some parts of your brand, such as the logo and customer service, you can control, and some parts, such as the customer’s experience and perception, you cannot. You get to decide the focus of your company, what it offers, and why. Think about what you hope customers will remember about your business, and place your focus there, whether it’s a great product or service, the support of a cause, or the way they are treated while doing business with you.

Make sure your logo represents the most important focus of your company. Take the time to research your competitors, and consider what you can do to differentiate your brand from theirs. Although the logo is your trademark and should represent the more important aspects of your company mission, every aspect of the business will either support or fail to support the brand, so think broadly.

As you develop your marketing materials, it’s wise to create a master file on your computer that contains your materials in the same format, such as a PDF. PDFs are a useful way to help with searching since all text is indexed. You can also use an online editor to add notes and highlights as needed.

Be sure to make the most of social media

Your social media presence is a great way to connect with customers and further support your brand. Memes are a popular and powerful way to engage with the public and get the attention of those who share your philosophy and mission. You can create your own memes tailored to support your brand with online software. You can select a template, and then you have choices about colors, background, text size and font, and even images.

Don’t hesitate to hone your marketing skills

You may feel daunted at the prospect of branding and marketing your business if these are new activities for you. Although most tasks can be outsourced, you might want to consider returning to school to level up your marketing and management skills. You might think about getting a bachelor’s degree in business, which will provide you with skills that help your company thrive. It’s possible to enroll in an online degree program that allows you to remain actively involved with your business while in school.

Content marketing is an essential skill for small business owners. Creating compelling content that engages customers and resonates with your target audience can be the difference between success and failure. To help you get started, consider investing in a quality content creation tool or working with a content marketing specialist who can provide tips and advice. With the right guidance and dedicated practice, you can become a pro at content marketing in no time.

Although the process of developing and supporting your company branding strategy might seem overwhelming at first, it may help to think of it as something you get to have a hand in shaping rather than leaving it all to chance. You can develop your own skills, hire a marketing and branding staff member, or use the services of a marketing firm to help you hone the plan. Before you begin the process, think about the brands you are drawn to and how they represent their values, products, and services. You can develop a good strategy for your own business.

For help capturing the images your business needs to brand itself professionally, contact Photography by Misty today!