WHAT IS BRANDING?
- Branding is the art of aligning what you want people to think about your company with what people actually do think about your company – Jay Baer
- Brand is the image people have of your company or product. It’s who people think you are – Ann Handley
- A brand is a singular idea or concept that you own inside the mind of a prospect – Al Ries
WHERE DO I START WHEN BRANDING MY SMALL BUSINESS?
Before creating logos, fonts, and slogans, you must first:
1. Identify your target audience
2. Identify your target audience’s burning pains
3. Identify how you can solve your target audience’s burning pains
4. Create the smallest audience you can that has a specific need. It sounds counterintuitive, but shrinking your audience often lets you target them better.
A Virtual Assistant or Freelancer can help you accomplish the three steps below:
A Virtual Assistant or Freelancer can help you accomplish the three steps below:1. Setting up your marketing funnels (to build your email list).
2. Use the email list for client surveys, to find out where their ‘pain points’ lie.
3. Create and post good, solid content that describes HOW you will solve your audience’s ‘pain points’.
NOTE: Your Virtual Assistant or Freelancer can assure that your emails contain an “opt-in”; to make sure that your list includes the people that have requested to be on your list!
You can learn more about how to ask good customer research questions in this blog post from Active Campaign.
YOUR NEXT STEPS IN BRANDING: Positioning, Tone and Personality, and Logos
Now that you have a strong understanding of your target audience – CONGRATULATIONS — you are ahead of most of your competitors!
You have now arrived at the point that most people call BRANDING: your positioning, personality, and logo. Three important aspects of your BRANDING are:
- The POSITIONING of your business—your “why”
- Your TONE and PERSONALITY
- Your LOGO, COLORS, and SLOGAN
Simon Sinek, the author of Start With Why, argues that “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”
POSITIONING
As you work on your positioning, ask yourself what values you’d like to have associated with your brand. Ask yourself:
What do you stand for?
- What are you trying to accomplish in your business?
- What makes you different from other people in your industry?
- What are your core values?
When you have a sense of your core values, it’s easier to incorporate them into your actual business.
TONE and PERSONALITY
Positioning helps you get a strong sense of your core message. Your tone and personality are how you communicate that message to clients.
The tone you choose depends on your industry and the service you offer. It’s often easier for a small business to use a lighter tone.
LOGO, COLORS, AND SLOGANS
Finally, we are at the “fun and creative” part of BRANDING. The steps that you have taken to this point, will help you create a brand that actually speaks to your target audience. Think back on those steps as you work on your logo, colors, and slogan (aka tagline).
- How do your logo, company name, and tagline reflect what your customers need?
- How do they differentiate you from your competitors?
- How does your brand highlight your personality?
Here is a link to an article from Active Campaign, that shows some examples of amazing small business branding Logos, colors, and slogans.
CONCLUSION:
Branding your small business shows the world how you are different from your competitors. Branding is the true essence of your small business and THE VALUE your business provides for your clients!
If you have not yet branded your small business and would like to collaborate with a professional Virtual Assistant, Lotus Business Resources can help. We offer a complimentary (no-obligation) 30-minute Breakthrough call.
email: karen@LotusBusinessResources.com
Website: https://www.LotusBusinessResources.com/contact
Karen Kannegiesser is an online freelancer and Founder of Lotus Business Resources. LBR specializes in Social and Digital Media Management, Website Management, and Business Automation for heart-centered Small Businesses and Non-Profits.
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