Top 4 Branding Tips for Small Businesses

August 2, 2022

If your small business is a plane, branding is the propeller. Strong branding is one of the most powerful ways to fly your small business to success. Branding is the identity and directed perception of your business. It includes your personality, promises, reputation, experience, and customer expectations. Start building a powerhouse brand for your small business with these 4 foundational tips.

1. Define your brand vision and values

The best branding highlights the heart and soul of a business. Get clear on your vision for the business. Where do you see this business going? How will it impact people?

Then, define the values that the company will operate on. What message do you want to communicate? How do you want your customers to feel when experiencing your business?

Write down your vision and values to reflect on as you build your brand. Your vision and values should be evident in all of your branding materials.

2. Develop a visual identity

When many people hear the word “branding,” they think of a logo. While it’s clear that branding is so much more than this, we must touch on the importance of your small business’s visual identity.

Visuals are often the first chance you have to make an impact on potential customers. Visual identity is about much more than a logo. Hiring a professional to help build your visual branding materials is a good idea if you are unfamiliar. The following are some important visual aspects of your branding.

Color palette: Colors are key to defining the personality of a brand. Choose 5-10 colors and save their alphanumeric codes to use in branding materials.
Fonts: Choose 2-3 fonts to communicate your brand to your audience.
Logo: Design – or hire a professional to design – a logo that communicates your small business’s vibe, vision, and/or service. It should be eyecatching, clear, and easy to place on all your branding materials.

3. Understand your target audience

Your target audience is your ideal customer base. They’re the ones who resonate with the vision and values of your business and want to buy your product. Before building your brand, step into the shoes of your target audience.

You should also define your target demographic factors including age, gender, geography, and occupation. Research statistics within this target market, and even look at sales metrics of competitors.

Get to know your audience as you grow, and don’t be afraid to adjust accordingly. Check in with your target audience while building your brand through surveys, questionnaires, or open discussions.

4. The importance of a good website

A website is a gateway to your small business. Good websites are as good as gold these days. Your small business’s website should do all of the following things.

Operate properly: The website should be easy for the average person to navigate without any glitches.
Follow your visual identity: Your website is a great chance to communicate your personality and visual identity to your target customer
Reflect your vision and values: Tell a story with your website that reflects the purpose and heart of the business.
Educate your target audience: Share clear information about your business and most importantly your product.
Guide customers to your product: The whole point of your website is to generate sales after all. Make sure it is persuasive and seamless for customers to take the step to buy your product.

Quality is of the utmost importance when it comes to your website. Hiring a professional is a great idea to make your brand come to life.

The bottom line

Defining a branding strategy can be overwhelming for small businesses, but we’re here to help. Start by defining the authentic vision and values of your business, developing a consistent visual identity, understanding your target audience, and building the best website. You’ll be soaring into sales in no time!

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