Being in small business means you’re probably your own office manager, receptionist, sales manager, accountant, HR manager and R&D manager all rolled into one – no wonder you’re so busy. With all this happening you might be tempted to push “branding” into the too hard basket, or even think that your business is too small to worry about that sort of thing.
This may just be the biggest mistake you ever make…..
Branding isn’t just something big business does, it’s how you set yourself apart from all the rest and become bigger business! You’re time poor, you’re multi-tasking as much as you can and you might not be a natural business person – so here’s a ten minute guide to building a baby brand!
1. What do you do differently?
Is there one thing you do that nobody else is doing? Is it great? If this is hard to answer, think about what you don’t like about how your competitors do business. If competitor A is too pushy and competitor B sells poor quality goods – you are already on your way to being something different. Is there something your customers always complain about – is there a way for you fix their problems? If you can find something unique about your business that is desirable for a section of the market – then you have the first step to establishing your brand – your “Unique Selling Point” (aka a point of difference).
2. Tell it clearly
Write down a summary of what you do, who you do it for, what the advantage or benefit of it is and how it’s different to everyone else. Try to get all of this into one clear sentence using language that your customers speak. This is your “Positioning Statement”. Give this pride of place on your website and treat it like a promise – ensure you always carry out that promise to the letter.
3. Tell it memorably
Take the essence of your positioning statement and cut it down to 3-7 words. Make them memorable or catchy in some way. If you’re not a natural wordsmith, maybe ask a friend to help. This is going to be your “tag line” and should be memorable enough for people to recall it long after they stop dealing with you. You can develop tag lines for some of your product range too but first focus on how you’ll tag your business.
4. Make it attractive
A tag line is usually attached to a logo. A logo doesn’t have to be a work of art and it doesn’t have to be a profoundly meaningful symbol – it just has to be something that represents what you do. Ideally, you’ll create something unique and easily recognizable as your own, that can be replicated onto shirts or business cards or your website that is simple but memorable. If you are not very arty and don’t know anyone who is good at art or design, you could try just a different and interesting font for your business name (although you may need to go through a comprehensive rebranding down the line if you don’t get it at least part right this time). If you are a plumber for example, look for a font that resembles pipes or simply color your existing font a metallic grey or silver. Check out your competitors logos and make sure you do something completely different. Once you have a design you are happy with, attach your tag line to it and you have a header for letters, your website….everything.
5. Make it consistent
Once you’ve chosen a font and colors or styles, consider using those colors and attributes in everything you do. When a customer sees your color and font on a van, they should be reminded of you. This is the most basic of visual branding and it’s easy to develop. What’s more, if you’re not very visual, making this little decision makes all other design decisions easier to make. You won’t need to worry about what color uniform for your staff or what font to use for your signage – it’s all taken care of and consistent.
6. What’s in it for them?
Now it’s time to tell your potential customers about how your brand is just what they are looking for. In all your marketing collateral (flyers, cards, information folders etc), on your website and in any other written communication with your clients, make sure you are always telling them “what’s in it for them”. Don’t tell them that your brand is great, tell them that your brand will greatly benefit them by providing them with your unique selling point. Always answer the customer’s questions or needs in your “copy” (sales writing). Always make sure you speak their language too – don’t talk about the extensive corporate benchmarks met and exceeded by your chocolate shop, tell them that they’ll be in a whole new kind of chocolate heaven with just one taste of your yummy creamy fudge.
7. Live it!
In just a short time you can go from being just the same as everyone else to being one very special business that addresses customer needs in a very specific and desirable way. Make sure you live up to your promises and that your brand is a perfect ambassador for your business.
Don’t put off branding. Don’t be afraid to brand. Just doing the basics is enough to make you a real competitor!
