A considerable amount of small businesses shy away from the countless opportunities and benefits that branding has to offer. Many are clouded with the thought that branding is paramount for large, established businesses, with extensive market size and a vast consumer base. Let me tell you; this is not halfway true. As important as it may be for those established businesses, branding is also hugely essential for small businesses.
Branding is crucial for any business, whether small, medium, or large. But why is branding so important for small businesses? And what opportunities are there for you when you have a strong brand presence? I guess you want answers. Well, sit tight and read on! We are going to talk about the essence of branding for small businesses. But before that, let us address the elephant term called branding.
Branding is a term that can mean so many things. It can mean designing a logo, developing a brand voice, color, and tone for your business, creating disparate marketing equipment, communicating with customers on social media, and so much more.
What exactly is branding?
A basic definition of branding is that it is the marketing practice of fashioning your brand. When I say fashioning, I mean ensuring that your business uniquely identifies itself out of a pack of brands. Branding is a way in which your customers experience and recognize your business. Unlike previous years, branding has evolved so much more than just having a logo. It now denotes the emotional, empathetic response businesses can extract from their customers.
As Jeff Bezos puts it, “Branding is what people say about you when you’re not around.”
For example, the need for easy distanced communication with each other necessitated the invention of the telephone. Some years later we saw the advent of mobile phones. You can now attest that there are over a hundred mobile phone brands worldwide, with each having its unique selling point, advantage, and company beliefs. Some mobile phone brands are costly, while others are less costly. Some mobile phone brands are deemed satisfactory, whereas others are considered flawed. Whatever the case may be, the focal point here is that people already know about different phone brands’ existence. And if they choose to buy one or more of any phone brand, they can consider well-known brands forgetting about brands that are less known by many people.
But, let me give you a quick highlight here. I want you to note that branding is different from a brand. Your brand is your endpoint, or you can otherwise call it your destination, whereas, branding is the roadmap to reach that endpoint. A brand is external and inhabits the hearts and minds of your customers. On the other hand, branding is internal. It encompasses the series of actions you have to enact to develop that brand. Precisely, branding is a verb, while a brand is a noun. To crown it, any action you exhibit to fashion your brand is called branding.
Now, as you have grasped the meaning of branding, let us dive into the central topic of discussion by expanding on the importance branding has to offer for small businesses.
Why is branding so important for small businesses?
Branding plays a crucial role in any business and should be a priority, particularly for small businesses. Reasons for these are as follows:
One of the significant reasons why branding is critical for small businesses is that it makes their presence recognized and known by customers in the market. The public will only recognize you (a brand) if you have an identity. As a small business, you can build that unique identity through branding. When you have the right and consistent logo design, and other brand materials, the chances for having a successful brand is very high. Matching your website and social media channels with your brand colors is crucial. Having a uniquely built design and identity will sell your personality and speak your existence in potential customers’ minds, thus, increasing your brand recognition.
Another reason why branding is essential for small businesses is that it elicit customers’ trust in the marketplace. There is a high probability for customers to do business with a company that has a well-organized and professional brand. As a small business, having a professional look will create customers’ trust and influence them to feel more comfortable doing business with you. To earn customers’ trust, you have to be consistent, organized and show that you are an expert in whatever you are serving the market. And that comes in handy through a continuous update of your website by developing content that answers their queries or frequently asked questions. Also, the website color should correspond to similar brand colors used for your logos and brand materials. In doing that, you will establish a strong trust from customers.
Branding is vital for small businesses because it supports their marketing efforts. A significant element of your brand is marketing. Marketing, which includes advertising and market research, is an act of promoting and selling your product or service to potential customers. The practice of doing your market research, as a business, by selecting your channels, identifying your target audience/customers, developing placement and promotion strategy assists in creating your right brand. As such, when you market your product or service, whether online or offline, your business will go far and wide because you have designed the right brand.
Branding is vital for small businesses because it brings about new revenue. You can acquire word-of-mouth referrals through branding since people have recognized your brand and would share it with others in the market. But keep in mind that you can generate new revenue if you construct a brand logo that is consistent along with your marketing materials and impresses potential customers’ minds. When customers like your product and service, they are more likely to talk about it with friends or family. They will undoubtedly identify the company by its brand name when sharing. By so, those who are impressed will, in turn, become your new customers, thereby generating new revenue. And these new customers will inform others, and the cycle continues. As long as your business is devoted to increasing its brand value, revenue will flow in from different angles.
Branding is essential because it assists small businesses to generate new customers through word-of-mouth referrals and other methods. Having a strong brand will establish your business as an expert in the industry you operate in; thus, eliciting customers’ trust. For instance, your friend compliments the new customized necklace you put on and asks where you bought it. You can better respond when you know the brand of the business. And you can quickly respond, especially when the business has a strong brand presence.
Another chief reason why branding is essential for small businesses is that it improves employees’ pride in working towards its mission and vision. A company with a strong brand will attract employees that are motivated and satisfied to do their job. When you have a reputable company that provides the right solution and assistance to the public, its employees share that pride and stay motivated. If your company has a strong brand, then your employees’ morale and productivity will increase, leading to job satisfaction.
Conclusion
As a small business, you don’t require a considerable budget or perhaps wait till you start realizing enormous profit to consider having a strong brand. Instead, you have to start by allocating some percentages of your overall business budget into developing a strong brand presence. Branding is essential for your small business just as it is for large businesses. It is important because it can help increase your brand recognition and build customers’ trust. Also, it can support marketing efforts, generate new customers and revenues. And lastly, branding can help build employees’ pride and satisfaction.
Are you thinking of starting a business but without an idea of the right brand logo? Does your company find it complicated to manage its social media presence? Does your business need a customized logo that represents your brand personality? The Star Factor Effect is your one-stop-solution to all your brand and digital challenges, offering numerous services. We can create a custom look creative design that signifies your brand personality. We can develop and manage your social media content and online channels. We can also build you a professional website and provide digital solutions for your business. To start developing your social media marketing strategy and the right brand for your business, get in touch with us today! Get started with a free consultation!
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