Small Business Branding 101: How to Create an Engaging Company Brand
A recognizable brand will prove to be one of your small business's most valuable assets. Most consumers choose companies they are familiar with. And when you are competing with more prominent brands that already have a loyal customer base, you need to build a brand that reflects what your company offers and resonates with your target market.
But what is branding? How does it impact the customer experience, and how do you know when to hire a branding professional to assist your team? Here, Stokhaus Media answers these questions and discusses what it takes to create a memorable brand!
What Is Branding?
Your company's brand can be defined by consumers' overall perception of your business. In other words, it is your reputation. It has never been more challenging than it is now for a company to maintain a successful brand. It requires you to provide consistent communication and experience across your customer service, marketing materials, website content, social media advertising, office environment, and more.
Many people think of a company's logo, slogan, or typography when they hear the word "brand." While those are certainly elements of a brand, building a brand requires much more. It takes time, a strategy, and various forms of nurturing your reputation. That’s why it makes sense to work with dedicated branding experts like Stokhaus Media to create a compelling campaign that can boost your presence online and in the community.
Of course, if you want to take a deeper dive into building your company's brand, consider going back to school to get a business degree in branding or marketing. Accredited online universities offer affordable degree programs for business management, marketing, leadership, and many other fields. And if you study online, you can still focus on your business and other responsibilities.
Main Components to the Branding Process
There are essentially three phases of the brand-building process: strategy, identity, and marketing. The ultimate goal is to create a brand that inspires a positive image of your business that stands out from the crowd. Start by developing a brand strategy that outlines how your company is unique, likable, and trustworthy to your target audience. Your written plan will include your mission, solutions to people's problems, and the promises you are making.
Brand identity refers to how you convey your company's value to the public using visual elements, messaging, and experience. Your brand identity must be consistent across all channels to build recognition for your brand. Here are a few components of your brand identity to consider:
Logo
Color schemes
Typography
Patterns
Messaging and content
Web design
All forms of advertising
Once you have established your brand's strategy and identity, you will need to market them. This is where you will use strategic communication to build awareness of your products or services. These days, you can amplify your brand image by creating a top-notch website, posting on social media, using email marketing, investing in content marketing and SEO, and many other digital marketing activities.
Creating an Impactful Brand
When it comes to the actual process of creating your brand, it's critical to evaluate which tasks your team is and is not equipped to do efficiently and proficiently. If there is anything you need help with, don't hesitate to hire a professional. Here are a few steps to take as you begin developing an impactful brand:
Find your purpose.
Research competitor brands.
Determine your target audience.
Establish your mission and vision statements.
Determine how to convince consumers of your product or service.
Find your brand voice.
Establish your story and messaging.
Create an outstanding logo and other visual elements.
These are the essentials of creating a brand. Once these tasks are taken care of, you can start marketing your brand through any digital and print methods that fit your needs.
Creating a recognizable brand requires a lot of work, but it will prove worthwhile for your company in the long run. Consider the information and advice above as you meet with your team to discuss your strategy going forward. And keep learning as much as you can about small business branding so that you can position your company in a place for long-term success.
Need an extra hand growing your brand and your business? Turn to the marketing pros at Stokhaus Media to help. We can level up your branding strategy so that you see results that equate to a larger reach and more profits. Reach out today!