How to build your small business brand
Posted on 15th February 2021
The world has changed for many businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now is a good time to review your business brand to make sure it you will still stand out from the crowd in 2021.
Here are some ideas to help you brush up your brand.
What’s your purpose?
It’s easy to lose sight of your original intentions. You might add new products or services that change and extend your business or, like many of us, you might be doing things differently now.
It’s a good idea to review your purpose regularly by asking yourself some simple questions:
what benefit do we provide for our customers?
what problem do we solve?
how are we different from other providers?
why should customers choose us?
When you have answered these questions, you will be able to refine the vision for your business. This will provide a good foundation for all your marketing activities. However, you must make sure that you live up to your vision every day.
Understand your market
Market research will help you to understand your competitors and what your customers are looking for. You can even use it to test what people understand about your business or to compare your branding with other similar businesses. It doesn’t have to be expensive; there are simple online surveys and techniques you can use yourself. Information about how visitors use your website can also help you to learn more about their interests.
Understanding your market will help you to build your brand and personalise your communications, which will be more important than ever in 2021.
Be discovered online
2020 showed all business owners how important it is to be visible online. If your business doesn’t already have a website 2021 is a good time to create one. You can choose a ‘do it yourself’ template-based option like Wix, the world’s favourite, WordPress, or you can work with a website agency.
Your online branding, including your social media platforms, will give people a better idea of you and your business. If you are extending your business by selling online then you will need to make sure your site is welcoming, easy to use and reliable.
Tell your story
Everyone enjoys a good tale, and your brand story will help you to connect with your market. People will be interested in why you started and where you are going. It will help them to decide whether they want to work with you.
Make it visual
Creating a good logo that will be recognised easily is a type of shorthand for everything your business is about.
It’s worth investing some time, effort, and money in creating a logo that you will be proud to use for everything from your stationery to your vehicles or product packaging.
Once you have created your logo it will be important to use it consistently, and your designer should provide you with some guidelines to help you.
There’s value in a strong brand which is why market leaders like Apple and Google protect them so carefully.
Understand customer experience
Customer experience is overtaking price as the most important differentiator for businesses, so it is now an essential part of your brand.
To build strong relationships you must meet your customer’s expectations as well as their needs. More importantly, happy customers will refer others to you, helping you to grow your business.
Share your brand
Your brand is something to be proud of and you will want to share it widely. Many businesses trust Pulse magazine to showcase their brand every month because they have confidence that it will reach the right people in the right way.
If you would like to find out more about how we can help you to build your brand, please get in touch.
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