Building a brand isn’t always an easy concept, certainly when money is an ever-present issue for small businesses.
With this in mind, we came up with four main elements of brand building which have a major impact on our client's goals (typically, increasing customer demand, new client attraction, business growth and creating clear marketing messages).
All of our tips cost absolutely zero money, yet they remain easily manageable and effective.
3 Tips From Thrive for Self-Improving Your Brand
- Professionalism: Building a brand through a recognisable name, logo design and varied marketing mix creates a professional impression for your business. Matching this professional reputation with a similar web design and social media marketing presence can only add to brand reputation, so the look of your brand is everything. However, it can easily be nothing too, if you and/or your staff aren’t professional when representing your company. In the competitive market that you are in, it is vital to try to stand out, so ensure your brand’s good reputation and rounded appearance ensures that.
- Customer service: It would be a strange world to live in if everything went well all of the time, however, memorable and effective customer service could be better than a typical fair experience. If a customer is dissatisfied with a product/service, spending the time to focus on offering a solution or sincere apology is going to do wonders for brand reputation.
- Consistency: Don’t just call yourself “Andy O’Connell & Sons Engineers” if you aren’t going to stick with the name. In the world of social media marketing and online branding it is imperative you ensure customers can find you, which comes from consistency. If a precise Twitter handle isn’t available then try the nearest variation, but keep your username the same across all platforms – your domain name should also be exact.
We have supplied you with advice as to how you can implement successful methods into your branding campaign, but where should you emphasise the focus of your small-medium business as a brand?
1. Technological impact
It might be obvious to you that the cost-effectiveness of technology provides a clear advantage to small businesses that just wasn’t there before. People want to find you, you want to be found – hello, social media. However, and that’s a big however, do you want customers or do you want confused visitors? Amidst the complex, cluttered and mind-boggling choices laid out to a customer, they are looking for the safe, easy and correct choice – you have to make yourselves that company online, across all platforms.
2. Economic value
As we have said before your first impression really counts, particularly online. If you are online, then always be aware of the 8 second rule when people land on your website or social media marketing channels – be clear, be attractive and be relevant. When it comes to your brand offline, it pays to be recognisable have a carefully collated brand plan.
3. One voice equals success
Forget all the money, clients, customers and employees, if your company wants to succeed you have to work as one. MENG have some brilliant advice on this topic, mainly focusing on your brand design avoiding ‘multiple personality disorder’. It is obvious that each employee thinks, writes and speaks in different styles and has different personalities, but did you stop to think that this creates a different reflection of your business each time?
Consider a set of guidelines which make it clear who your brand is speaking to and how they should be spoken to – across all formats. Every employee who represents your brand in any way should be 100% clear on the beliefs, attitude and persona of your business.
Ultimately, the goal of building a brand is to create a united identity to everybody you come into contact with – it is the first sign of professionalism. Being consistent, customer-orientated and technologically-adept are extra cost-effective additions to this.
