11 branding tips for small businesses
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Transcript of 11 branding tips for small businesses
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
11 BRANDING TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
WRITTEN BY:
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
Many small businesses do
not even bother with brand-
ing. They often incorrectly
assume that only large cor-
porations have a need to
build their brand. The truth
is that firms of every size
will benefit from having a
strong recognizable and val-
uable corporate brand.
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
Some simple tips that will help your business to build a unique brand name:
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
No business can ever truly distinguish itself from the brand of the competi-
tors, if it tries to copy elements from their branding strategy. Your brand
has to be distinct from your competitors, with its own personality and char-
acteristics. Your brand name must have some unique characteristics.
BE DIFFERENT
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
POSITIONING
Look carefully at the position of your competition within the market.
Understand that it is unlikely that you will be able to occupy the same
position and should instead try to establish yourself in a different place
within the hearts and minds of your potential customers. Positioning is
one of the most important element of branding.
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
PURCHASING DECISIONS
To succeed at branding you have to understand what compels people to buy a
product that they might have been on the fence about. The majority of pur-
chases are not rational and are ruled by the heart rather than the head, there-
fore you must appeal to the heart of potential customers. Do a good research on
target customer’s taste, preferences, their buying behavior, etc...
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
BE GENUINE
Your audience will see right through any fakery or pretense straight away
so it is always recommended that you are entirely genuine. Avoid promising
things that you cannot provide or pretending to be something that you are
not. Customers need you to be honest about things or else they will never
build a bond of trust.
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
DESIGN AN INGENIOUS LOGO
Your logo may not be your business’ be-all and end-all but it is the face of
your brand, so you might as well make one that your audience will like and
never forget. If you’re not skilled at designing logos, you can hire a profes-
sional to do it for you. Just make sure that you incorporate your brand’s
message into the logo, be it with the font, colors or overall format. Also, try
to achieve a look that will make the logo as unique as possible.
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
CREATE A WEBSITE
Whether you’re going to sell online or in a brick-and-mortar shop, it would
help your business a lot if you create a website for it. This is an ideal place
for you to showcase your products and interact with your customers easily.
In your website, you can include information, such as the company’s histo-
ry, products, a gallery, and even order forms for convenient transactions.
Just make sure that you keep it professional all the time, aesthetic- and con-
tent-wise.
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
BLOG REGULARLY
As an entrepreneur, part of your job is to keep your customers updated not
just about your products but also about the industry in a level that they will
understand and appreciate. Write about your new products and relate to
your customers . The idea here is to provide content that your customers will
find highly useful.
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
ENGAGE IN SOCIAL MEDIA
The digital age affords today’s customers the power to share anything they want
in real time. Sharing can come in the form of posting on social media accounts
whether they were satisfied or unhappy with an item they purchased. To connect
with your customers better and learn what they think, establish an active online
presence by creating accounts and exploring the features of the most popular so-
cial networking sites (e.g. Facebook and Twitter). Build your online community,
and engage them in virtual conversations. This way, you’ll get to know your cus-
tomers more and improve your products/services based on their opinion.
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
JOIN RELATED BUSINESS EVENTS
If you haven’t attended any industry-related events since you opened your
business, the next one in the calendar would be a good start. Once you are
there, get to know other participants. Who knows you might just pick up a
thing or two on how to improve your business?. Continue attending any
workshops you think would add to your skills and knowledge. You should
also try to join committees or organizations to further enhance your
knowledge and experience as an entrepreneur.
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
ENCOURAGE FEEDBACK
Your customers are the best judge of your products since they are the ones
who take a chance on what you are selling. As such, it is highly advisable to
ask them for a feedback, whether its positive or negative. When they do,
don't forget to thank them for their time. You may even provide them in-
centives.
BHAVESH M. BHANSALI
BE CONSISTENT
For sure, the world is changing fast, especially in the light of technological
evolution. However, do keep in mind that you should be consistent with
your brand’s message without sacrificing the need to keep up with the
changing trends.