Without a dynamic brand, small businesses may as well be invisible. A successful branding strategy uses colors, slogans and effective graphic design to provide customers and clients with a clue to who the company is. Once a person becomes a client, the entire experience, including product support or even an email communication, needs to be in line with your strategy to maximize the value of your brand.
A brand is a statement which encompasses your unique values, explains how you do business and why your business even exists.
Photo by criterion
“Branding is not about getting your prospects to choose you over your competitors, it’s about getting your customers to see you as the only solution to their problem,” says Robert Frankel. According to Search Engine Guide, when done right, your branding will ensure customers will buy from you (often paying more than premium), stay loyal and tell their friends about your business.
We have prepared a handful of branding articles from authoritative sources to help your small business excel in branding:
Big Impact Branding for Small Businesses
by Christina “CK” Kerley, published on SearchEngineGuide.com
Kerley explains why branding is important, what can be branded and, more importantly, provides six strategies for small business branding. These strategies offer insights on whether to focus on a product or value and when getting emotional can help connect to prospects (and their pain points), among others. Article also includes small Q&A section.
The Importance of Branding Your New Business
by AllBusiness.com; published on NYTimes.com
Article discusses basics of branding and explains why it is as vital to an organization as any other early step. Outlines what branding elements are and how they can be considered a company’s ”reason for being.” At the end of the article, there’s a handy branding checklist to help you achieve business awareness through branding.
Learn What a Branding Campaign Is
by Lane McCulloch, published on Inc.com
Lane summarizes branding concepts, including “brand association” (what your customers think of your brand), and why the entire experience matters (brand is more than just a logo). A quick read to learn briefly about each element!
Promotional Items That Reflect Your Brand
by Judy Katzel, President of Burgess Advertising & Marketing, published on MaineToday.com
A brief guide to choosing promotional products that will reflect your brand and not just what your boss likes. Includes 3 questions to ask yourself before buying promotional products.
by John Williams, published on Entepreneur.com
Since a logo is the most known (and visual) element of branding, we think this article may benefit you. John writes that all logos don’t rely on the same element (Apple relies on image while Coca Cola on typeface) and explains best practices for creating hi-tech, service-oriented or B2B logos.
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