9 Branding Tips for Small Business

Think branding is only for large multi-national corporations? Think again. Here are 9 easy tips you can use to grow your brand with your client or customers.

1. The design of your logo really doesn't matter in the end. Would you choose MSN as your search engine over Google because of their logo? No. How about Dell over Apple? Audi over BMW? Delta over Southwest? Nope. Nope. Nope. Having a nice professionally designed logo is great, but it very rarely increases sales by itself. Now, before you freak out, I'm all for a professional logo. If you're using some crappy Microsoft clip-art style logo, that definitely won't cut it. Professional logos are cheap today. It's more important to include your logo on every piece of communication. Put it on business cards, letterhead, envelopes, invoices, yellow page ads, building signage, newsletters, etc... It's more important to be consistent and for it to visually represent what you want your company to stand for. If you value creativity, don't have a logo that looks like everyone else. If you value stability, don't have a logo that looks too fluffy and airy. Don't "boil the ocean" trying to get it perfect. Your logo is one minor element of branding. 
2. Have a professional website. It's not just good enough to just have a website, you must reflect your desired brand image. If your known as a top notch photographer, the last thing you want is a website designed 10 years ago. It doesn't reflect well on you. Everyone, yes everyone, uses the web today to check references and gauge credibility. If someone recommends your service, you can almost guarantee that the prospect will go online to look for you. Your website design should be updated at least every two years to stay current. Your website is your #1 piece marketing material. Done right, it can become your best sales person-and always focus on what your client gets from working with you, not what you do. 
3. Blogs are good. Blogs help your business on multiple levels. First off, publishing valuable content on a consistent basis will make you look like an expert. People are looking for experts, not apprentices. The software that powers blogs has multiple advantages. It's very easy to publish without technical knowledge. It's a database driven environment where style is separate from content so you will not need to go back to your web design agency for every little change. And use of tags and sitemaps make basic search engine optimization easy. But the real reason blogs are great is that they enable conversation. Two-way dialog is much more valuable than a company that just dumps messaging and collateral on their customers. 
4. Blogs are good, but they're just one tool. A blog should not be your sole marketing strategy. You should have a comprehensive multi-touch marketing plan to get your value proposition in front of your target audience. This can take many forms. You can launch a direct mail campaign, email campaign, host a webinar, sponsor a local event, attend a trade show, attend networking events, host seminars, cold call prospects, win awards, etc... There are a thousand different ways for you to be noticed. You need to be working at least three different marketing strategies to grow your business - referrals alone won't get you where you want to go. Data shows that people need to be exposed to a brand at least seven times before they buy. If you simply do one touch and stop, you're wasting valuable budget dollars and probably wondering why your efforts are not successful. There are 11 different marketing strategies that professional service firms can employ successfully. I recommend working a minimum of three separate marketing strategies all the time (more to come on this next month); this way you ensure that your audience is exposed to your message in multiple formats. It's naive to think that a prospect will jump after seeing your marketing materials/efforts once. It typically takes 3-7 "touches" for a prospect to take action. 
5. Prepare a one page corporate overview. This one pager will be vital as a leave behind when you meet a prospect. Use short sentences in short paragraphs - people like to read quickly. Also make it very conversational; it's not a white paper. Your one page overview should highlight that you understand the pain points of your target audience, how those pain points affect their business, the benefits gained by addressing those pains and a mini-case study - and don't forget your contact information. 
6. Participate in local business groups/events. And by participate, I mean be on a committee. Just showing up at events is great, but you're just a face in the crowd. Ask to be on one of the committees. Believe it or not, it's as simple as just asking most of time. Groups are looking for volunteer help and it's a great way to elevate your status and visibility among the entire organization. 
7. Do what you say you're going to do. I know it may sound like common sense, but one of the primary drivers of brand loyalty is a consistent experience. If you say you're going to have the deliverable ready on a set day, be sure its ready. Nothing leaves a bad taste in someone's mouth like unmet expectations. Positive experiences lead to good feelings which lead to telling their friends. But don't forget that bad experiences spread much faster and are harder to overcome - if you get a chance at all. 
8. Stand for something. People latch on to something they can understand and appreciate. If you're trying to be everything to everybody, chances are you'll attract no one. If you think it's too controversial or risky choosing a niche, remember the power of being seen as an expert. Experts are not good at every thing, they're awesome at one thing. This allows you to better position yourself and charge more for your services. People seek out (and pay more for) experts, not generalists. 
9. Realize that you're not in control of your brand. That's right, you only set the direction for your brand. Your actual brand image is determined by your audience. You can use these tips to ensure alignment between your desired brand image and your actual brand image in the minds of your customers. Branding isn't a one shot deal, it's an on-going juggling act of marketing, research and conversation. If you're not tapping into those conversations with your audience, how do you know what their real impression of you is? How will you know how to address it? Brand growth comes from alignment. You have to ensure that your actions and marketing efforts put out the image you desire. But you cannot stop there-those are pre-sales activities that get you noticed-and hopefully bought. You also have to ensure that all actions during the sale and post-sale are positive and in line with your desired brand image. If your audience has a different view of you than you'd like, then your brand is out of alignment and you need to address it.  
10. BONUS TIP: Branding is as much about your people as anything else. Never forget that the best chances for positive brand reinforcement comes from one-on-one conversations between executives, employees, suppliers, customers and prospects. Every interaction is a chance to create, reinforce or erode brand equity. All it takes is one stupid mistake or harsh word to send it all crashing to the ground.

Unfortunately, branding is one of the most over-used and misunderstood words in business today--strategy is a close second--but proper branding is critical to your long term success.

Effective branding is all about ensuring that your target audience feels what you want them to feel about your company and offerings. When you're able to evoke the emotions that you want them to feel, your brand will grow and you'll create more loyal and profitable customers. It's not easy, but it's what separates everyday firms from world-class firms.