by Kathryn Main
What is branding, exactly? Contrary to popular belief, branding is far more than just a logo. Your customers’ first impression of your company is formed through your brand. Therefore, your brand experience should be encapsulated and epitomised in your branding. This can be achieved through various elements such as:
Your customer service
Brand design
Tonality
Brand ambassadors
The logo is one of the most important component of building a brand, and a good logo can help you determine some of the other aspects of your brand. When developing your small business’ brand, you must also consider colour schemes, font types, the tone (Quirky, funny, serious) customer service, and every other aspect that is part of a customer’s experience. Branding should give consumers an insight into your brand and what your business is all about, without them having to ask a single question.
Why is branding important for small businesses?
The most obvious reason is that branding makes your companies more recognisable to potential customers. Having a consistent theme throughout both traditional marketing efforts and your online portal/website helps people become familiar with the business they are dealing with. It builds brand recognition.
Many small businesses miss out on numerous opportunities that a good brand presents. You might believe that brands are only important to major companies with a global customer base, like Microsoft or Adidas. But that's simply not true! Small business branding is crucial. A robust online brand presence is beneficial for all types of organisation.
Using the power of emotion, a strong brand identity will help you to acquire customers, motivate employees, and build credibility in the marketplace. A strong brand image will influence your current and prospective customers response to your products and services. An emotional connection with your consumers should be your business’ top priority. After all, people don’t have relationships with products, they are loyal to brands.
Having good branding and well-created marketing material helps to build trust among your current customers, as well as expose your business to potential new customers.
You don't just want customers who recognize your brand and use your business once — you want to create customers who continue to come back and refer you to their friends. With good branding, you can showcase your brand's more human side, which your customers can relate to more than a company that's strictly business.
A strong brand with a loyal following is one that consistently builds positive customer experiences. Of the customers surveyed who had a “very good” experience with a brand, 94% are more likely to purchase again; and of the customers who had a “good” experience, 83% are more likely to purchase again. There are small businesses with similar products at every corner, so what makes your business unique? Your brand! Stand out from the competition and develop your brand further than just a logo.
When building your brand create your brand values, vison, mission, purpose, and promise. Customers love to align to a brand that shares the same values as them. When the organisation is understood at a core level by the owner and the staff it’s much easier to deliver on your brand promise and purpose every day.
Your brand should influence every decision you make while running your business.
After you have decided on your brand’s colours and font, they should be present in all of your social media posts, across all platforms. Consistency is key – the tone you use must stay consistent throughout all your online communications, in traditional media spaces and in all printed content and social pages.
Building a strong brand takes time. Be consistent in your marketing efforts and make sure to send out the same message on all platforms. This is how you build brand recognition and trust.
Activity: Brand booklet. Establish your brand ethos
If you are looking for words to describe Kathryn Main, CEO the Money Savvy brands, quirky, determined, visionary and masterful are just some that spring to mind. Kathryn is an author and award winning businesswoman and has won awards for her advertising agency as well as Money Savvy Kids. Kathryn has a passion to change the face of education on the African continent through financial literacy education and training. The Money Savvy brands are revolutionizing the way financial knowledge is disseminated to younger generations of South Africans. Money Savvy Kids + Teens promotes in youth the skills, knowledge attitudes and behaviors required to be financially independent.
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