Beyond the Basics: Brand-Building Tips for Small Businesses

The best marketing does more than inform consumers about your business. It develops a genuine connection between you and those consumers: a connection that lasts. This is the essence of branding.

Brand-building doesn’t need to be an expensive endeavor, but it takes strategic planning and skillful execution to do it in an effective way. Chances are that you already know the basics: define your brand, commission a logo, develop guidelines, and create other branding elements that encapsulate your brand, and start spreading the word. Today, we’re taking it a step further with brand-building tips you won’t find at the top of every Google search.

Hit the Pavement

Digital marketing strategies like social media marketing and search engine marketing get most of the attention in today’s branding and marketing landscape. Don’t get us wrong, digital marketing is certainly important, but you need to bring your branding into the “real” world as well to bridge the gap between online web browsing and real-world purchases.

Use brand-forward messages and content in both digital marketing and offline marketing techniques. For example, publish print ads, sponsor a booth at community events, and invest in well-branded signage to capture walk-by and drive-by traffic.

Embrace Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the most critical and genuine ways to build a meaningful brand and establish a relationship with your customers or patients. The goal is to truly tell customers your business’s story: who you are, what you do, why you’re passionate about what you do, and the values you hold dear. You want customers to feel like your business is a friend or family member they’ve known for years, and one they trust. This is especially true for industries in which customers need to build a high amount of trust before they “buy-in,” such as in healthcare.

Merge Planning and Flexibility

Brand-building is a long-term, continuous project. It needs to be carried out strategically with consistent, well-crafted messaging to create the authentic brand you’re envisioning. Thorough planning is important, but you also need to leave room for some flexibility so you can take advantage of trends and changes too.

For example, you might have an in-depth content calendar outlining what you’ll post to your social media every day. Then a new social media trend arises that would be a perfect way to endear your brand to your followers. Make sure you give yourself room to adjust your schedule so you can take advantage of those opportunities.

Find Your Place in the Landscape

No two businesses are exactly alike, regardless of how similar your product or service is to your competitors. There’s always some special need that you serve and some special place you fit into your industry’s landscape.

Invest time into researching your competitors and finding out what you can do to set yourself apart, or what quality you may have that they do not. Maybe it’s a unique training experience in your background or perhaps you have a diverse and inclusive team that understands, respects, and welcomes people of all backgrounds.

All these tips can set you on the path to establishing a compelling and profitable brand, but they merely scratch the surface when it comes to brand-building and of course, they’re also easier said than done. Brand-building is a complex skill that requires specialized knowledge and practice. For help creating or growing your brand and setting up your business for a strong future, contact McCauley Marketing Services. Follow us as well on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more marketing and brand-building tips.