4 Branding Tips for Small Businesses

If you’ve recently started a small business, congratulations, as you’re one of the 5.4 million small businesses in the USA who decided to chase their dreams in 2021.

Compared to 2020, with merely 4.4 million small businesses opening up, it’s no wonder how the post-covid world has changed the future face of digital marketing.

Now, the next question that arises is about the effort you’re putting into making your brand recognizable.

Many small businesses spend a major quarter of the starting years expanding their product range and increasing sales. Yet, amidst all this, branding goes on the backfoot.

So, if you think branding is for biggies such as Apple, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola, this blog can change the direction of your thoughts.

Let’s find out how.

Branding Tips You Can Count On

The ultimate goal of a business, no matter how big or small, is to make more sales and generate more revenue.

But baby steps first.

Unearthing these milestones requires making a place in people’s hearts to make them recognize you in a crowd of multiple emerging businesses.

It’s what makes the competition going between Coca-Cola and Pepsi without either of the brands losing loyal customers.

So, here’s what you need to do to make your business ace in the battle of brands.

Start from Scratch

No, we’re not going to say you need to rethink your business idea.

Instead, it’s about looking around the nooks and corners and tying the loose ends.

To start with, you need a logo. A logo casts the first stone to make that plausible ripple in the branding pool.

It’s why kids hype up when they see the familiar Disney castle that emerges with a sparkle. Or the times when the old man with glasses and a bowtie offers the best Zings in town.

Yes, that was a reference to KFC. 😉

If you haven’t dedicated time to thinking about why a logo is important for your business or why you should hire a logo design expert to make one for your business, you can now!

Know Your Audience… and Competitors!

Everything boils down to who you’re offering your services to. But you shouldn’t forget who your competitors are either. After all, it makes all the difference in the marketing world to come better prepared, complete with facts and figures.

Starting with your audience, determine your demographics first.

If you’re a local business, target consumers near you looking for your product or service. After that, assess the age and gender to finetune your proposition. You can use the stats to enhance the way you interact with users on social media platforms, too.

Next comes knowing your competitors. And let’s face it, you aren’t the only one providing a specific service. Neither will you be the last one. But keeping a keen eye on similar businesses can help you refine your branding strategy to differentiate yourself.

Figure Out Your USP

A great brand needs a great product to prosper.

Once you’ve figured out your audience and competitors, it’s time to work on your offer.

As we said above, you’re not the first or last one offering the same service, but you can make it count and rise above all competition by choosing a USP – unique selling point.

You don’t have to go beyond the reasoning dimensions to please your audience. Moreover, never use pricing as the USP as there’s always the chance of your competitor providing even lower prices to steal your USP.

Instead, base your unique selling point around your audience’s needs.

For example, Atom – a big name in the shoe selling industry – offers comfort shoes for everyday wear, but they specifically say their shoes are not cheap. Because if they were cheap, you could find them anywhere.

Hold on to the Consistency Threads

It becomes easier to walk the digital marketing arena when you’ve aligned a brand strategy.

The reason? You have a goal to achieve.

Deviating from the path can lead to your customers losing sight of your initial proposition and your brand becoming just another face in the crowd.

Therefore, whether in terms of your brand colors, logo, voice, everything impacts your online presence.

Lastly, remember that big names can afford a change in the shape of a revamp whenever – think of Facebook turning into Meta!

As a small business, it can take you a while before you make a home in your audience’s minds and hearts. So, consistency is key to fast-forwarding the process. Once you achieve that recognizable status, you can trust your consumers to accept and adapt to change however you do it.

So, What Next?

These are just some of the tips you can start with to lead your business in the right direction. But there’s a better and quicker way to achieve all that and more.

Get in touch with an experienced digital marketing agency that knows the ABCs of branding.

Experts at Lawton’s Legacy Group are waiting to hear from you.

Cheers!