The Art of Branding: How to Differentiate Your Small Business in a Competitive Market
Branding isn’t just a marketing buzzword—it’s an art. It is the foundation for marketing storytelling. It’s the connection you make with your audience, the catalyst that establishes recognition and encourages that initial “hello” to your target audience. Suffice it to say—it’s essential for any small business to have some killer branding, especially in this competitive market.
That’s why this month’s blog is all about providing actionable tips on differentiating your brand in a competitive market with branding as your secret weapon.
Understanding Small Business Branding
So, what is a brand exactly? According to HubSpot, “a brand is the identity and story of a company that makes it stand out from competitors that sell similar products or services.” But if you ask me, branding is the personality (or, dare I say, “soul”) of your small business.
Essential branding includes your small business’s logo, tagline, brand colors, voice, and personality. All that is packaged up in a neat little file that we in marketing call your “Brand Guide.”
Consistent (and thoughtful) branding can build trust and recognition with your target audience. It also creates consistency throughout your company because if anyone ever has a question about how you operate, what you stand for, etc., just tell ‘em, “Look at the brand guide.”
Identifying Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
The first step to crafting killer branding is identifying your Unique Selling Proposition (USP if you’re into acronyms). A great way to do this is to dust off that SWOT analysis and develop some buyer personas.
A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis dives into your strengths and weaknesses while allowing you to research your competitors. It also gives insight into different opportunities within your industry and potential threats. While, developing Buyer Personas is a great way to get a clear picture of your ideal customer. What does their family look like? How much money do they make? What pain points do they have that your small business can solve?
Crafting Your Brand Story
Now that you’ve done the research, it’s time to craft your brand story—aka the small business origin story that’ll really resonate with your audience. A compelling brand story includes your small business’s origin, mission, values, and vision—sort of like a “begin with the end in mind” ballad of your small business. Once you have that brand story locked and loaded, you can craft your brand and shout it L-O-U-D from marketing platform to marketing platform.
Visual Branding
So, you’ve done the research and written down your brand story. Now, it’s time to move on to visual branding! Visual branding is essential because it’s the first impression your target audience gets and is vital for brand recognition. Visual branding can include your logo, brand colors/fonts, and your style guide.
My best tips for crafting a logo are to keep it simple, timeless, and true to you. Once you’re ready to get started (or work with a design team, which I highly recommend), don’t be afraid to try a few different variations of your logo before you settle on the final vibe.
When it comes to brand colors and fonts, keep your audience in mind. This aspect of design involves a lot of psychology, so make sure to do your research before you commit.
Above all, once you're finished, wrap it all up in a style guide. The point of establishing branding upfront is to keep it consistent throughout your small business, and that style guide is the perfect catalyst for this!
Building Brand Voice and Personality
And last but not least, you have to detail your small business’s voice and personality. Defining your brand voice begs the question - “Who are we, really?” Is your small business formal or informal? Playful or serious? Do you lean on compassion or dive into the world of irreverent tones?
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again—consistency is key when it comes to marketing your small business. Developing a brand voice/personality allows you to maintain consistency across social media, emails, customer service, and more.
Let’s recap, folks! Branding your small business is essential when it comes to standing out in a sea of businesses that are slinging a similar product or service. I implore you - take this blog and run with it! And if you do, make sure to reach out and share your experience with branding your small business. I’d love to hear about it!
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