The Importance of Branding For Small Businesses
Posted on: May 17, 2021 7:18 am
When we speak about brands or branding, the temptation is always to think very big. To think that brand focus is a practice reserved for globally recognised entities. The Coca-Cola Brand, The McDonalds brand, Apple branded products. The very term can conjure up visions of unattainable recognition and grandeur. This may be the reason why many small business owners do not see the importance of branding, and do not invest their time and efforts into getting it right.
However, this should not be the case. Effective branding is absolutely crucial for businesses at every level of the pyramid. From the global powerhouses to the smallest of sole traders.
A brand is what identifies your business to consumers and distinguishes you from your competition. This includes visual elements such as the colours and logo. However, brand is so much more. Your brand can guide all of your business’s activities.
Once translated into one dynamic package, branding speaks to your audience and communicates exactly what you represent as an organisation. But why is branding so important, even for those smaller businesses without a large audience?
Being Memorable
Customers enjoying a positive experience with your product or service is great, but this has to be married with recognisable branding. If your branding does not effectively differentiate your business from the competition, highlights what makes your business amazing and capture the minds of the audience, then your hard work delivering an experience can be undone. You need to be memorable. And for all the right reasons!
Culture and Building Teams
Strong branding is key for small businesses when building and growing a culture. A clear and consistent brand allows a workforce to understand just what it means to represent that organisation. It creates a focal point for emotional investment and something staff can really get behind and believe in.
When constructing a brand strategy, we will set out a list of brand values which best represent their business and what they aspire to be like. These are guiding principles which direct all of an organisation’s activities. From effecting external communications to who you employ.
Consistency Across the Board and Effective Marketing
Brand influences every action taken by an organisation. No matter the size or scale of the business. Consistent brands are far more trustworthy to consumers. If a brand is inconsistent with its messaging then this will confuse the audience, leaving them uncertain of your offering.
So, when putting together a marketing campaign you must ask yourself, “Does this convey what we want to represent as a brand?”.
