It’s Time to Strengthen Your Small Business Brand Identity

Building a small business brand identity is a project that starts long before you’re up and running. Or, at least it should start long before that.

Sure, focusing on marketing and sales is important. After all, you have a business to keep afloat.

But, don’t forget that your company is more than just a business. It is also a brand. And brands need to be nurtured.

If You Don’t Do It, Someone Else Will

People attach meanings to the things they see. If nobody provides them with one, they will invent it.

Thus, a brand will get built, one way or another. If you don’t do it, someone else will. And you may not like the end results.

Therefore, it’s much better to control the narrative. To impact the way people perceive you right from the start.

So, don’t wait to start building your brand identity. Don’t let someone else control the story. It’s your company. The reins should be in your hands.

As Elon Musk put it: “Brand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time”.

Well, then, take the reins and build the reality you’ll enjoy.

Importance of Building Your Small Business Brand Identity

Your brand is a reflection of your company. It is your story. In short, it is the unique personality of your business.

So, building a brand identity is like telling your story to the entire world. Clearly, you want that story to be great. You want your personality and your quirky, yet lovable, character, to shine through it.

Understanding the importance of branding yourself is, therefore, a must.

Sure, you know that branding will enhance the effectiveness of your marketing strategies and efforts. Then, you also know that it will build connections with your audience. But, to what end? For what purpose? Why should you care?

Let us now explain it and go beyond those reasons you’ve read about a thousand times over. Let us tell you why you should care.

Stepping Into the Spotlight

Perhaps the worst thing that can happen to a company is for it to blend into the background. To become just another face in the crowd.

No, you do not want that!

You want to turn heads, spark conversations, and have people easily point you out in the crowd of your competitors. Put simply, you want to be one in a million.

And, branding is your path towards achieving that. A strong identity will increase your visibility. In fact, it can be the difference between winning clients and losing them to competitors.

In short, creating a strong brand identity puts the spotlight on you.

And Staying There

It’s not enough to have the spotlight shine on you for a couple of moments. After all, it’s not fleeting glory that you want. It’s something much, much more permanent.

Well, building a strong brand identity for your small business means staying in the spotlight. It means becoming recognizable and memorable.

And, it means having people say: “Oh, great, it’s you again!” when you pop up in their feeds or search results. But, with enthusiasm. With a clear desire to do business with you, and to be a part of your story.

Building a Small Business Brand Identity to Foster Trust and Loyalty

Like I said, brand is a perception. Okay, Elon Musk said that, but you get the point.

Shaping that perception wins you a spot on the market. You decide what kind of a spot it is going to be.

Most likely, you want it to be a spot reserved for credible and trustworthy businesses. Of course, taking good care of your brand will get you there. It will establish you as a credible authority in your industry. Then, it will turn you into a trusted source of valuable information in your niche.

Finally, it will instill loyalty in your audience, motivating them to turn to you when they have the need for what you’re offering.

How to Build Your Small Business Brand Identity

Clearly, building a strong brand identity is a journey. A process that requires careful planning, thoughtful choices, and consistency.

So, let’s learn how to do it all.

Know Your Story before Telling It

Building a brand is about telling a story of your company. As a good storyteller, you have to know where the story will go before you start telling it. Without a good purpose, it will make a weak impact, if any.

So, define your purpose. Think about what your business represents. Identify the values you want to uphold.

Then, decide what you want people to know about your company. Decide what you want them to think about your company. And start working towards shaping their perception in that direction.

Instead of focusing on what you’re offering, focus on why you’re offering it. Use your story to connect to your audience and give them a reason to support you.

Know Your Audience

To tell a good story, you’ll also have to know who you’re telling it to. This will help you set the right tone and choose the right channels of communication.

Thus, define your target audience and your ideal customer. Identify their preferences, desires and pain points. Consider the demographics, psychographics and the buying habits.

Finally, use those insights to successfully reach out to your audience.

Leverage the Power of a Memorable Brand Name

You want to stand out from your competition, right? Well, that starts with a memorable brand name.

Choose a name that’s easy to remember. Make it playful. Perhaps couple it with a .ME domain to make it personal. Or to do a good old play on words.

Of course, consider the psychology behind a brand name to evoke the right emotions.

Furthermore, test it out with potential customers before settling on it. A few more sets of eyes may notice something you didn’t.

Let your inspiration run wild and have fun brainstorming. It is often the most unusual of combinations that make for the most iconic brand names.

Build a Cohesive Visual Identity

Creating a visual identity is your next step. And, cohesiveness and consistency are the keys here.

Don’t make, say, a black and orange logo and then go for a red and green website. Choose the right color palette for your whole brand. Then, design a compelling logo and set on the typography style. Keep your imagery cohesive.

Remember, consistency is the key towards building a great visual identity.

Create and Follow a Style Guide

Speaking of style and consistency, here’s the last tip I have to share. Create a branding style guide. And, include guidelines for all the visuals, as well as the written and audio and video content.

This way, you will have no trouble building a cohesive identity.

The Time Is Now

Not sure when to start creating your small business brand identity?

Don’t wait for your company to be up and running. Don’t wait for your marketing efforts to work and to boost your sales.

Sure, you have a business to run. But, you also have a brand to build and strengthenSo, no reason to wait. The time is now.