By Adam Taylor | Corporate Drop-out, Writer
small business tips
5 Best Practices for
Small Business Branding
Whether you’ve opened your doors to local customers for years or you’ve just launched the online startup of your dreams, there’s always more information you can learn about branding for your small business.
Today, Small Town Big Business is here to share the five best practices when it comes to identifying, attracting, and retaining customers to help your business succeed.
[social_warfare]
1. Begin With the Basics
Does your website sparkle with professionalism? Is your business name easy to remember without being off-puttingly quirky or hard to pronounce? Ensure your business’s success from its inception with a catchy name and a well-designed website.
If you need to hire a professional web designer or graphic designer, you may be tempted to compress your JPG files to send images in an email. Try not to do this as the compression will degrade the image. Instead, seek out a JPG-to-PDF converter tool that will allow you to pack multiple PDF images into one document.
2. Understanding How Branding Affects Your Customers
Customers are well aware that goods and services are being marketed to them hundreds of times per day. According to Harvard Business Review, customers often dislike nudging, or the manipulation many marketers engage in when trying to force their customers’ hands. Don’t try to hide the fact that you are selling something. Instead, focus on how your product or service may help your customers live their best lives.
3. Find and Reach Your Target Market
Your brand’s origin story and narrative are extremely important for attracting your customers. Don’t stop at telling your story in a separate “about us” page on your website: Imbue your passion and your company’s mission into every product you sell or service you offer. For example, if you are selling handmade soap, focus on the artisanal craft, the sustainability of the soap, and the fact that you give a percentage of your earnings to a charity that supports a local disadvantaged group.
What and how you choose to communicate your brand’s story will depend heavily on your marketing strategy. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to marketing — you shouldn’t approach appealing to a young professional the same way you would a retired empty nester. You should build your strategy around your ideal customer, defined as granularly as possible. This will help you understand how you should communicate with them.
4. Lean Into Social Media
When you’re first starting out and working with a very limited budget, finding ways to market your business and build your brand may seem limited. However, many businesses have found success by cultivating a strong following on social media. With some clever writing, excellent photos and images, and a strong personality, you can win over new customers and clients without spending a dime. Of course, this is much easier said than done; developing a following on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok doesn’t happen overnight. However, if you focus on solid content that’s relevant to your brand, you’ll soon find your audience.
5. Know When To Hire Help
Perhaps you already have top-notch business skills but lack digital know-how or the ability to write in a consistent voice throughout your website and social media platforms. If so, consider hiring professional freelancers to fill in your weak spots. You may wish to hire a content writer, a web designer, or a cybersecurity expert so that you can focus on what you know.
The tools you use for successful branding are constantly changing, and your business should be evolving as well. Don’t get complacent and always be on the lookout for a new branding strategy. Talking to others in your field, taking advantage of social media, and hiring a dedicated team of professionals can help immensely when rebooting or launching your small business.
Small Town Big Business teaches those small-town many-hat-wearers how to use the internet to get more traffic and sales. Join our community today!
Your turn.
Have at it. What’s been your method?
A particular planner on the market, your own or a hybrid mix of a few things?