Building a Brand for Your Small Business

Published on: 24 January 2018 Last Updated on: 08 August 2019
Building a Brand for Your Small Business

One of the most essential aspects of building a business, no matter how small it is, is establishing an effective brand—especially if you want to make an impression in today’s highly competitive market.

But what really does branding mean? And what does it take to create a brand that truly defines what your business really is?

 Defining Your Brand

Think of your brand as your promise to your customer. Its purpose is to deliver a message to your audience, which includes what you have to offer and how your products and services differ from your competitors. Basically, it describes who you are and the image you want people to perceive you to be.

However, defining your brand may be easier said than done. After all, it is a journey to your business’s self-discovery. Specifically, it involves defining your company’s mission, your offerings, your reputation, and your qualities. You may have to do some research to find a branding that truly represents your business.

Creating Your Visual Brand

While a brand is more than just your company’s logo, you’ll want to establish the look of your company by choosing the right image, colors, fonts, and tagline that perfectly represent your ideals. Failing to establish defined brand guidelines is one of the most common mistakes small businesses are doing, which eventually puts all their branding efforts down the drain. Following these guidelines to build a visual brand invokes consistency and gives your brand a clear direction moving forward.

Knowing Your Audience

If you’re in a rut in developing your brand, you may be failing at getting to know your audience. According to Carfused.com marketing head, Matthew Creole Rees, it is essential to first determine what resonates with your target market before trying to develop a brand.

Know your audience by finding out their wants and needs and understanding their habits. This is especially a must for start-ups that are still trying to get their brand across their customers.

Using Social Media

Social media is a great way to market your brand and to reach out to your target audience, especially for start-up businesses that are still on a tight budget. In this digital age, people spend most of their time on social media, and if you fail to build a consistent social media presence, your business basically does not exist to many.

Once you’ve established your presence, the next most crucial thing to do is to maintain it. Being consistent in showing your presence creates a positive impact on your brand’s perception.

Your company’s brand dictates the language of your external and internal communication. The people of the marketing team in your company need to know exactly what the company’s brand is so that they can always integrate it in their campaigns and look for better ways to raise the consumers’ awareness of your brand.

Going beyond Your Logo

Your brand’s logo may create a significant impact on your audience at first glance, but a brand has to go beyond the visuals in order for it to become effective. In the end, it’s not just about what you do but more about why you do it that makes a brand more impactful.

A brand should reflect your culture. For example, if you are keen on maintaining a drug-free workplace, get your workers to understand your cause before administering blood drug tests.

This way, they will understand the implications of such health requirements, especially in occupations and industries where safety is of the highest priority, such as in operating machinery.

Building a brand may seem like an overwhelming phase—and you may think that getting started is already difficult as it is—but it’s maintaining that brand that’s actually more challenging.

Read More:

  1. How Personal Branding Online Can Help Your Job Search
  2. Top 5 Graphic Design Trends For 2017
  3. 5 Most Common Challenges Faced Bye Commerce Businesses Toda
  4. Tips For Creating Effective Portable Trade Show Displays

Source: customlogocases.com

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Mobile-accessories-packaging

Cost Effective Custom Mobile Accessories Packaging for your Small Business

Small businesses have to struggle hard to get their products and services desired attention. Limited budget for advertising and marketing often proves a hurdle for small enterprises to make a mark in the market. Product packaging is an element that can be effectively utilized for boosting branding efforts and connecting with a wider target audience. If you have a small mobile accessories manufacturing and retail business, utilize packaging for creating unique inkling for the items. You can make your retail store talk of the town by emphasizing product quality and inspiring packaging. Personalized product boxes designed with the view to make a brand’s vision known to the prospective buyers can work wonders for a small business. Custom printed mobile accessories packaging boxes with your logo and slogan will make shoppers remember your small retail outlet. Getting the boxes printed for various mobile accessories can be a pricey endeavor; you need to evaluate available printer options to choose one that provides you budgetary solutions. You shouldn’t be relying on a packaging service provider that is new in the industry and has hidden or extra charges for all the services. Make sure to do the search for the printing vendor meticulously before making a preference. Here are some tips that you can utilize for personalizing packaging! Product Boxes should be Insignia of your Brand  You surely want to make the most of your packaging for creating distinguished inkling for your brand. When getting the boxes for mobile accessories customized, make sure to use all the branding essentials smartly on the packaging. The logo and a catchy tagline should be printed vividly on custom mobile accessories boxes. You can make your small mobile accessory outlet worth noticing by using the custom boxes to your advantage. The packaging should have your contact details like phone number, email ID and social media profile information to facilitate customers to communicate with you. Packaging should describe your USPs Smartly   You can make your brand and offerings likable with prospective shoppers by describing unique selling points of your business smartly on the custom boxes. Details like what makes you a differentiating mobile accessory brand, what kind and quality of accessories you have and if your products are nominally priced and backed by warranty should be available on wholesale mobile accessories packaging boxes. Make sure to share only facts and not fabricated claims or promises on the packaging as it can impact your credibility. Perks of Using Customer Centric Mobile Accessories Boxes Brands that are concerned about the needs of their consumers end up winning over their loyalty and trust. You should offer comprehensive details about using an accessory on the boxes. Make a list of sought after user questions and answer them in fewer words on the packaging. This will enhance your brand’s image and customers will readily trust you for purchasing their desired mobile accessories. You can make the accessories for smartphones worth checking out for the customers by revamping the packaging design at regular intervals. Add a streak of uniqueness and creativity to packaging using interesting themes. You can promote various deals and offers through boxes for chargers, hands-free, and other accessories. Share all the vital features and price of an accessory prominently on the packaging to make it easier for the shoppers to take their product pick conveniently. Read Also: The Top Benefits Of Using An Insurance Broker Proven Vitamins Used In Energy Supplements How Customer Success Can Help Grow Your Business Why Should Retailers Use Pricing Tools For Their Businesses

READ MOREDetails
Market a Small Business

How to Market a Small Business in a Big City?

Big cities tend to have a highly competitive market base. As such, small businesses based in large cities like New York might find themselves at a loss when trying to develop a marketing strategy to engage a large audience with a relatively unknown brand. Market a Small Business in a large city like NYC requires a multi-faceted approach, and your plan should not merely emulate that of larger brands that may have much larger budgets. There are plenty of effective marketing strategies available for every budget. Working with a professional digital marketing agency will give you an excellent return on your investment if you have a limited budget. If your business is based in the Big Apple, you may want to consider having a New York digital marketing company help you perfect these strategies as they know how to serve the market best. 1. Research Conducting thorough and comprehensive market research services in Singapore should be the first step in your marketing campaign. The data you collect reveals vital information about your potential consumer base as well as your competitors. You can then use this information to tailor your marketing strategies to reach your audience best and stand out amongst the crowd. Singapore is a global business hub known for its pro-business environment, making it an ideal destination for entrepreneurs. If you're wondering how to set up a business in this city-state, the process is straightforward, with efficient registration procedures and minimal bureaucracy. With its strategic location, robust infrastructure, and favorable tax policies, Singapore provides a strong foundation for both local and international businesses to thrive. So, research more! Here are some of the objectives that market research aims to achieve: Know Your Audience This involves general information about your target audience—their demographic information, location, what they do, what they like, how they act, etc. Identify Your Competitors Knowing who your competitors are is vital to building brand awareness. Knowing your competitors means knowing what products/services they sell, their marketing strategies, and what kind of audience they target. Spot Emerging Market Trends Stay up-to-date about your target consumer base’s latest developments and mold your marketing campaign to remain on-track with those developments. 2. Create Quality Content Content marketing is the strategic use of high-quality, relevant, and on-brand content like blogs, videos, or articles to market your brand or a product to a well-defined audience. Typical content marketing strategies include, but are not limited to: Social Media Content Marketing  This involves the consistent uploading of a relevant content on various social media platforms. This content can include images, videos, animations, stories, or even live customer service videos. Blogs  Blogs are one of the easiest and cheapest ways to produce content on the web. It is essential that your blogs are creative, engaging, and contain original copy, not plagiarized from other websites. They should be well-researched and tailored to the specific audience that your brand is targeting. Paid Advertisements Sponsored ads require financial investment, but they can be a great way to reach a broader audience and ensure that your brand remains visible and relevant on the web. Content marketing is an excellent way for small businesses to market their brand or product with a minimal investment. 3. Leverage SEO Search Engine Optimization(SEO) is another vital aspect to consider when developing your digital marketing strategy. SEO involves curating your website and its content to rank higher in a search page result. With more and more businesses developing a web presence, having good SEO scores should be high on your marketing strategy’s priority list. SEO isn’t always cost-prohibitive; the price for SEO implementation depends on who is setting it up and working on it. The initial investment can range from cheap to spendy, depending on what level of ranking you desire for your site. If you decide to do SEO yourself, start by researching relevant terms and keywords for your industry. You can then add internal links and secure backlinks (another facet of content marketing), produce quality, highly-legible copy, write blog posts with numbered lists, and add relevant keywords throughout your website. Properly implementing SEO will establish your site as an authority and drive more traffic directly to you. 4. Have a Strong Digital Presence When digital ads account for half of all ad spend, developing and maintaining a strong web presence is imperative for any serious small business. A robust online footprint includes both your business website as well as social media pages. It is a cost-effective way of building brand awareness in your target market base. Developing and maintaining a business website should always be one of the top priorities of your marketing campaign. Your site will serve as the primary representation for your brand on the internet, which is crucial in building consumer loyalty and brand reputation. For top-notch website creation, there are several options for you to consider. The first one is using CMS like WordPress. The second one is custom web development. For this, you can hire RoR developers, a UX/UI designer, and a project manager. Additionally, social media can serve as an excellent digital marketing tool to reach a broader or more specific target audience. Social media serves as the vehicle to transport your brand to the masses and increase its visibility. 5. Generate Leads When your marketing campaign loses its potency on a specific target audience, you’ll need to generate new leads that you can then use to either find a new audience or expand the one that you’re already targeting. Here are some ways to generate new leads: Optimizing Your Landing Page  Use landing page strategies like implementing Call-To-Actions and write compelling headlines to improve your website’s traffic and conversion rates. Lead Generation Software  As the name suggests, this software identifies and collects new leads from multiple sources. With the right software, you can generate quality leads that significantly boost your conversion rates and sales. Data Validation Software  This is similar to lead generation software, but instead of crawling the internet for leads, it validates the information you already have. It works in one of two ways; it can either complete a batch validation analysis of a lead data spreadsheet or live as an API on your site’s contact forms and checks the data’s accuracy in real-time as forms are submitted. This can save time and effort when pursuing new leads. Email Marketing  Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective ways to generate brand awareness and boost sales. These include implementing newsletters, sign-me-up forms, or generating automated email ads for specific audiences. Budget As a Tool, Not a Barrier Small businesses should develop a very different marketing strategy than large corporations in a big city like NYC. Approaching marketing from a small business perspective is the best way to ensure the most effective use of limited budgets and resources. Your finances should never be a hindrance to achieving your marketing goals. With proper strategies and a bit of creativity, your marketing campaign can be just as impactful as your competitors'. Read Also: Optimize Your Small Business Revenue by Taking These Steps Basic Small Business Tips for Noobs Who Want to Start a Venture in 2020 How to Empower Your Small Business through Digital Marketing?

READ MOREDetails
Call Centers

Which One Should You Pick? Cloud-Based Call Centers Vs. On-Premises Call Centers

In today’s fast-paced world, businesses constantly seek ways to improve efficiency while reducing operational costs.    One of the most significant changes we've seen is the shift from traditional on-premises call centers to cloud-based solutions. This is no longer just a trend—it’s a strategic move towards higher profitability and smoother operations.   Cloud-based call centers have become an essential organizational plan for businesses that value high profitability and low operational costs.    More and more businesses are moving from on-premises call centers to cloud-based call centers. If you, too, are considering a change, know the reasons to confirm your decision. Why Choose Cloud-Based Call Centers? The following reasons show you the difference between cloud-based call centers and on-premises call centers: 1. Installation The installation process in the on-premises call centers was time-consuming. You had to plan the hardware, get licensing, set it up, install software for the systems, and more.   Cloud-based call centers are easy to install. You don’t have to maintain hardware or ensure it operates efficiently. You don’t need to assemble different devices and start off with your process. 2. Operational Costs The cost of managing an on-premises call center is huge. It takes a lot of money to set up and buy hardware such as computers, phones, headsets, and more.   You also need licensing and office space to accommodate all your employees. Due to improving technology and regular software upgrades, the costs of replacing an installation are also high.   Options like Cisco's customer journey platform show how little investment can go a long way. These processes don’t cost much money but require a good internet connection.   Everything is saved on the cloud and billed on a usage basis. This is one way to decrease your operational costs. 3. Easy Management The hardwired and software systems of the on-premises call center make the process tougher and strenuous. It requires more supervision and includes regular licensing, maintenance, upgrades, and more.   Cloud-based call centers need little management and eliminate the maintenance of hardware systems. The support comes from digital engagement, reducing on-premises IT charges and other complexities. 4. Flexibility When you install the on-premises call center, it is tough to customize it according to the number of agents. The number fluctuates, and there is less flexibility in the workflow.   Maintaining hardware is tough, and you need to modulate the systems, headphones, and so on. In this traditional system, the customer agents don’t work remotely.   They are stuck at their desks all the time, receiving calls. This disrupts the company’s ability to deliver quality customer service around the clock.   Cloud-based call centers are responsive to the scalability according to the requirement.   Cloud systems are offered based on subscriptions, so adding and removing users is like blocking a subscription. The cloud-based system helps agents work from the comfort of their homes.   They just need a good internet connection. They offer 360-degree customer support irrespective of where they are.   5. Scalability You will need more staff when you see an expanding business in your on-premises call center.   The scalability levels of the on-premises call center system are slow because you need to spend money on aspects ranging from architecture to hardware.   Cloud operations offer an efficient software system that depends on data servers. These are what mark their scalability, and there are no extra investments needed. 6. Reliability The quality of phone calls on the on-premises system is great. However, it is usually broken through many systems and that affects the customer's experience. Cloud operations depend on a strong network. You need great internet facilities to promote better customer service.   From the points above, we can assume that the future of cloud-based call centers is bright.    In every way, it is a better option compared to traditional call centers. Now you know all the reasons to shift to a cloud-based call center, choose the best organization for the services. Which Office Should You Choose as an Employee: On-Premises vs. Cloud-Based?   On the other hand, if you’re trying to decide between a more traditional on-premises call center or a modern cloud-based one, it’s important to think about the pros and cons from an employee’s perspective.    Here are a few things to consider:   Flexibility and Work-Life Balance   One of the most attractive benefits of a cloud call center is its flexibility. You can work from home, your favorite coffee shop, or anywhere else with just a reliable internet connection.    It’s much easier to fit work around your life, which is incredibly useful. Whether you’ve got a busy lifestyle or just need to prefer a more fluid schedule where you’re not tied down to being in one location.   Career Growth Opportunities Cloud-based call centers typically adopt new technology trends. This means you will get exposure to next-generation tools and digital platforms.    Your expertise in cloud technology could be in high demand since businesses are moving their solutions to the cloud.    On-site call centers tend to stick with outdated processes and technologies. Therefore, exposure to current industry trends may not always be possible.   Work Environment and Culture The traditional office space has a lot going for it – team collaboration, immediate access to team leads, and a routine.    If you are someone who likes more of a hands-on approach with your coworkers, an office may be the choice for you.    A cloud-based work environment is heavily communication-based and autonomous. If you can self-motivate yourself to work on your own time, then a cloud-based workplace would be ideal.   Stability and Job Security On-premises call centers feel more stable because they have fixed infrastructure in place. Not to mention the fact that they’re just offices you can go visit.    If your CRM goes down or there’s a power outage, somebody physically located near you can fix it.    However, while cloud-based solutions may require an internet connection to access, they certainly don’t shut down in bad weather (in fact, “the cloud” is often where they store information on such storms).    Hardware failures or physical office closures are unpredictable occurrences that you should be wary of.    Final Note Cloud-based call centers are the way forward as more and more businesses embrace digital transformation.    They will increase in functions, quality, and applications. Are you a business owner or an employee still sitting on the fence?    Decide quickly which side of the divide you want to belong to because cloud technology is here to stay!  Read Also : Top 4 Creative Team Building Ideas For A Call Center Industry This 2016 5 Informal Team Building Activities To Break The Ice Among Co-Workers 5 Team Building Activities to Inspire and Enjoy

READ MOREDetails