Have you ever had that dream where you existed and nobody knew who you were? Like as if nobody can recognize you and that nobody really cares who you are. The funny thing is that you knew how great you were but for some reasons, others can’t really see that and look through you. Sounds kinda sad, right? Well, that’s how your small business feels when you fail to create a brand around it.
But wait, what is a brand? We seem to hear it every day and a lot of times fellow businessmen seem to be obsessed with it. Well, a brand is not something tangible. It’s not just your business name or your logo. A brand is a bunch of feelings towards you and your business. To put it simply, it’s how you would like people around you (workers, customers, clients) to feel towards your brand.
We all have been to the grocery at one point in our lives. While walking up the aisles looking for the stuff on your grocery list, you have varying feelings towards the different items on the shelves. It can be a lot of things. For example, it can be that brand of fruit juice you always bought together as kids with your old pals because it was the cheapest one around, that brand of gum that you always liked because of their quirky commercials, or maybe that energy drink that was once part of a charity drive when your town was hit by a huge storm. All these “feelings” can be attributed on how a certain company’s branding appeals to you. Does it affect your buying behavior? Yes. Does it make you favor one brand over the other? Certainly.
So now that you are a small business owner, should you care about branding? Of course. Any business, no matter how big or small, should focus on having a brand. A businessman also has to consider that with the advent of Internet and Social Media, people will be talking about your business one way or the other so you might as well capitalize on that fact.
So how should a small business owner like you manage their brand? Well, here are key ideas to keep in mind when thinking about the branding of your business.
- What is your business and how does it differ from the competitors?
- Who are your target customers/audience?
- How can your product/service help the needs your target customers?
Branding is not an exact science that has an exact formula. A branding campaign may or may not work depending on the circumstances. So it is your responsibility to make sure your campaign is fool-proof. Don’t make the mistake of rushing a campaign and end up failing miserably because you missed one small detail.
One small branding blunder can ruin your business. Image from http://themojoink.com/
Don’t hesitate to build a brand around your small business. It’s not that hard and the benefits you get from it is unparalleled. With the help of a good campaign, an active social media presence, and some creativity, you can create a branding spree that will cost you little to no money.