06/29/2022
The common thread I see between the marketing strategies of the majority of small businesses is bare-minimum branding. These businesses might have a logo and slogan, but they have not made a brand yet, because they are missing some crucial branding components.
This isn't an issue with them; it's an issue with how confusing branding can be. So let's make it clear here!
Branding encompasses your business's core values, mission statement, purpose, and vision. It does include your logo, typography, and design elements but supersedes the visual and goes into the FEEL of your brand. Branding includes your tone of voice communicating online, from how serious, happy, or funny you are down to the phrases and emojis you like.
You might be asking, but how do you establish all those things? What's the secret?
There are two things I recommend.
1) Invest time and energy into deciding what you want. Ask yourself: Why did I start this business? What values do my team and I have? What makes your brand different than your competitors? Figuring out those points of differentiation can also be a guiding force in creating a brand.
2) Figure out what values your audience would like to see. You want to cater to them (to an extent) after you have figured out what YOU are looking for in your business. This could look like focusing on creativity if you are a design-oriented brand or accessibility if you are a nonprofit aiming to help people overcome barriers to accessing things.
Ultimately, remember that a brand is more than design. It's the lifestyle you want to promote. With a brand, your small business or nonprofit will become one that people genuinely WANT to buy from because they empathize and relate with who your business is at its core.
If you have any questions, please DM me or email me at [email protected].