Small businesses are currently living through a sort of digital content war. And they’re losing. The problem seems to be that they lack the tools and the budget to make their brand count. But, of course, these are problems that have dogged every brand. From their inception, brands are subjected to strong headwinds. They’re seriously tricky to get right. You have to strike the right balance between your business’s identity and its values.
Here are some tips on how to create a successful brand for your business.
Don’t Try To Mimic The Big Chains
Businesses often think that the best way to succeed is just to copy what has worked before. After all, Coca-Cola is a brand recognized all over the world. Why not just launch your own cola brand with a similar logo on the bottle? Well, for starters, it looks fake. By copying a big name, all you do is draw attention to the fact that you’re not selling the real thing. As a result, you’ll be forced to discount your prices. And your business won’t be as lucrative.
The correct approach is to make your brand distinctive. You want to attract customers outright, rather than rely on a big brand. When you do this, customers will see you as being more authentic. And they’ll be more likely to trust you.
Keep Digital Assets “On-Brand”
Your company is inundated with digital assets. You have word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, advertisements, emails and videos. Ideally, all of this content would be produced with your brand in mind. But, unfortunately, it’s generated by a large group of people, some of whom aren’t trained in branding. Thus, digital assets in small businesses often fall off-brand.
Of course, if you want to build a brand, it’s important that all your digital assets are consistent. That’s why digital asset management has become so important recently. Digital asset platforms now allow companies to homogenize their assets across different platforms. And some allow companies to do this without the need to learn how to use new tools. They simply integrate into existing word processing software and keep digital assets “on-brand.”
Be Bold
Too many small companies are afraid to go bold with their brands. Instead, they like to hide behind more complicated and sophisticated messages. This isn’t the way to proceed. Your brand needs to be instantly recognizable. And it needs to be able to capture the attention of any audience instantly.
That’s why it’s so important to stick with simple messages and bright colors. Just look at what the pros, like Google, do. It’s simple. Elegant and effective.
Sustain Your Brand Position
A lot of small businesses think that the best way to grow their market is through discounting. But discounting has its own effect on your brand. Rather than making your brand more widespread, it can sometimes lead to your brand being seen as second-class. It’s tough for discount brands to succeed in general. It’s particularly tough for lesser known companies to succeed in the space. Instead of discounting, stick with regular pricing. Make sure your prices reflect the brand image that you’re trying to cultivate.
Speak To Customers With A Consistent Tone Of Voice
Customers want to know the character of your business. And, over time, they come to expect to be treated in a certain way. Being treated differently can upset them and even put them off your business entirely. That’s why it’s so important to maintain a constant tone of voice while you are communicating with customers. Consistent treatment helps to associate your brand with quality and consistency. And this is what is likely to lead to greater sales in the future.
Don’t Repeat The Same Messages
Customers are after new content. That means that they want something original from your company every now and again. But all too often, companies stick to their guns. They issue the same corporate messages over and over again. And people find it boring.
If companies want to get the most from their brand, they need to expand their content. Marketing should be varied and drive home different aspects of their business. Sure, your company might offer the highest-quality products. But what about its stance on the environment? Consumers want to know more about the character of a brand than is contained in a single marketing slogan.
Focus On Your Purpose
Lastly, a brand needs to be associated with a purpose. Google’s mission, for instance, is to organize the world’s information. These higher goals transcend the products themselves. They are what drives a brand to greatness.
