Many small businesses make the mistake of believing that branding is something that’s meant for big corporations only. However, the truth is that every business- big or small- needs to establish a brand to grow and progress. Besides, all the big companies – Facebook, Nike, McDonald’s, etc. were all once small businesses only. However, they worked on their products and grew into some of the biggest brands.
If you are a small business owner then it’s natural to be daunted by the concept of branding for small businesses. However, the following 5 hidden brand strategies are far simpler and easier than you can imagine:
- Brand Standards
Can you imagine a Pepsi can with a bright red font against a black backdrop? It’s not so easy to picture something like this, is it? But why is that so? The answer is- Brand Standards.
One of the most important strategies for branding is maintaining certain standards. Brands like Pepsi and Coca Cola stick to fixed fonts, color palette, etc. so that no matter where do they promote their products, the overall presentation is familiar to the people.
There are many branding solutions for small businesses, for example you can start with creating a logo that can be easily used on all kinds of platforms- social media, magazines, newspapers, billboards, etc. You must also choose certain colors for the branding and create the logo, fonts, around them.
- Humanization
It’s a proven fact that people care for those brands that are able to make an emotional connection with their customers. Take Nike for example. It has made an emotional connection with its customers by encouraging to “just do it”- the words of motivation that everyone can use.
Whole Foods is another good example. Their marketing is strongly driven by the promotion of a healthy lifestyle- a point that immediately makes a connection with its target audience.
So, the takeaway here is that you must create a brand that connects with the people emotionally and not just for the sake of “branding”.
- Rewarding Customer Loyalty
Letting your customers know that you appreciate their loyalty and patronage can go a long way in creating a powerful brand. You can learn a thing or two from the widely-recognized computer technology company Dell that understands the value of customer-relationship more than most of the other companies. For instance, it calls the customers within a few weeks of delivery of a product to ensure that they aren’t facing any problems and are satisfied, which is one of the many other great things to learn from the company.
Not only simple gestures like the one above minimize the risk of a small problem becoming bigger, it helps to make a human contact as well.
- Acting on Feedback
One of the best ways to grow your business into a popular brand is to listen to what your customers have to say with utmost attention. So, if you notice that many customers are complaining about late deliveries, then maybe you can choose a better logistics partner. Or if they are complaining about the poor performance of a certain product, then maybe you can make appropriate improvements. Small things like these are essential for branding.
- Taking Help from Influencers
Social media plays an important role in branding today. However, merely creating a Facebook page or a Twitter account won’t do. You have to upload and promote content that can drive traffic to your business and help with branding. This is where social media influencers can be of great help. These influencers are individuals with high popularity on social media channels. By having them to promote your products you can directly connect with their fan base!
So, these were some of the best hidden strategies for small businesses. Feel free to try them out and see how they work out for you. Good luck!
