Your brand strategy and branding elements are so important. Developing your branding guidelines doesn't have to be overwhelming, but it should consist of conscious decisions that consider your business objectives and your target audience.
The key to effective branding is consistency and originality. Once you have developed your branding guidelines, your marketing and messaging through social media will develop naturally- as long as you are always posting with your brand's goal and identity in mind.
When you are launching your business don't just jump in without thinking about your brand or your position in the market. A little bit of planning goes a long way and will strengthen your brand's foundation. Here are four branding tips to help small business owners:
DEFINE WHO YOU ARE
When it comes to branding it is super important to determine who you are and who you are NOT. Identify what makes you different, what you can offer, your voice and tone and your brand's personality. Identify your target audience and capitalise on what sets you apart from other similar businesses in your industry. Clearly demonstrate the gap in your sector and how your brand can fill it. This is how you can position yourself in the market and launch your business with success.
2. KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
Knowing who you are speaking to and selling yourself or your products to, will help you to refine your messaging to ensure that it aligns with your target audience and addresses their needs in a way that "speaks" to them and that they can identify with. Think about the message, the consumer, their thought processes and the user journey NOT just your product or service. Identify their needs and why your brand is the answer. Include a CTA (call to action) in your posts and identify what you want your customer to do next...
3. STAY CONNECTED. COMMUNICATE!
Connecting with your audience is how you will convert leads in to clients or customers, how you will grow your following and how you will generate sales. Explore different channels to connect with your clients. Keep your followers and clients in a communication loop and direct them to various channels. You can expand on concepts, ideas and personalise your brand through a blog, you can "go live" to show behind the scenes and personalise your brand, you can start a Youtube channel, a podcast...the possibilities are endless. But the goal should always be to stay connected. Even your email confirmations and marketing can be used to communicate about your brand, upcoming releases...always highlight what you offer and how important your customer base is to you and your brand.
4. BE DIFFERENT...BUT BE CONSISTENT
The goal is always to stand out and be different but this has to be done with consistency. You should always develop a tagline, objectives and key messaging and develop your branding guidelines around them. Keep your font pairings and colour palettes consistent. Don't replicate what other brands are doing- be bold and stand out and ensure your brand voice showcases your brand's personality.
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