5 Branding Strategies for Small Businesses In Atlantic County To Adopt In 2020
by guest author Phil Eisenberg
Whether you’re looking to start a business in Atlantic County or you already have one and you want it to grow, branding is an integral part of the process.
Your brand covers basically everything there is to know about you and your business:
- Your name
- Your logo
- Your mission statement
- Your customer service
- Your history
- Your products
- Your social media
In a nutshell, your brand is all about the experience your customers have with you, no matter on what level.
Since branding is so important, let’s take a look at five branding strategies that can be used in our local area of Atlantic County.
Know Your Customers
Knowing your intended audience is almost a science. Depending on what your services are, you could want to appeal to a very wide demographic, or a very narrow one.
To grow a business, however, it’s a good idea to think outside the box. So knowing your customers involves not only knowing who your company would naturally appeal to, but who might also be interested, if they’re made aware of your business and if the correct spin is put on advertisements.
Knowing your customers also requires knowing what appeals to them-not only the goods and services that you offer but the method of advertising you use to let people know about them as well. A solid knowledge of your customer base will inform your marketing decisions to frame the maximum effect from each advertising campaign.
It also helps to know your competition — as an example, statistics indicate that the most common industries in the area as healthcare, food service, and retail, as might be expected in any densely populated area. But they also indicate that there are higher than normal amounts of companies related to entertainment and recreation.
So if you aren’t in a niche market, it’s a good idea to check into who your competition might be, and why your clients might choose them over you.
Keep Your Promises
This one is sort of a no-brainer, especially for a small business. People respond well to trustworthiness, and the way to build that trust is to make promises and then follow through.
This may seem like more of an “ethics” strategy than a branding strategy, but your trustworthiness really will inform how your brand is viewed.
If you advertise twenty percent off, take twenty percent off. If you can make the customer experience better, make it better. Go the extra mile to show your customers that your brand is exactly what you say it is.
Make Your Logo Work for You
Logos are an integral part of a brand. In fact, they’re what most people think of when they hear the word “brand.” Your logo is your brand ambassador, and you want it to do a good job. Whether you want a logo for a pet shop or a whole branding experience for your retail store, make it look good for your business.
A good logo is:
- Memorable
- Easy to understand
- Appealing
- Scaleable
What does a good and memorable logo require?
- Careful graphic choices
- Attention to the psychology of color
- Legible fonts
- Uniqueness
- Good spacing
- Appropriate tone
Not everybody has a natural talent for creating graphic design, of course, which is why there are multiple websites and programs out there that were created to help with that. DIY sites nowadays offer a one-stop graphic design shop, to contribute to the creation of everything graphic that your brand needs, from logos to websites. (See the next point.)
An effective logo can go a long way to helping your brand be remembered and sought out.
Be Site Savvy
Websites are kind of a given these days. It’s a rare business that doesn’t have a presence on the web.
Websites are a great way to continue and deepen the relationship with your customers. They tell your history, reinforce your mission statement, offer help, and can be portals to purchasing your goods and services.
They’re also a perfect way to make your brand come to life. Your company website is literally all about your brand. It should reinforce your look, tone, and customer experience.
As mentioned, website builders are great options for a budget-minded, however, not everyone has the time or the expertise to build a website on their own. If building your own website is a task too daunting of a task look for a local freelancer to create your company website.
Reach Out On Social Media
Just as everyone expects a company to have a website, most people go searching for a social media presence when they come across a new company, too. In fact, in 2017 it was calculated that 90% of all companies in the US used social media for marketing. And nearly 90% of marketers state that social media marketing has increased and driven traffic and awareness of their brand.
This is especially important for smaller, local-area businesses, which often must rely on community presence and word of mouth to survive.
Using platforms such as Facebook and Instagram gives your customers more opportunities to communicate with you, and more opportunities to enhance your brand. You can even use tools to manage social media profiles like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck.
Running a small business isn’t easy, but with savvy strategies and a solid brand, it can be done. Try these five branding strategies for your own small business, and track your growth as you go.
Author Bio
Phil Eisenberg’s best skills include writing engaging articles, developing content strategies and planning digital marketing campaigns. He likes to play the guitar, and play with his dog while brainstorming ideas for his clients. He works at a local IT firm by day and freelance by night.
