Many small businesses feel that having a brand is not something necessary to successfully market their products or services. Some think it is something only large companies need. And although some might invest in a logo, they miss the fact that a brand identity is so much more than just the visual impression of your business.
Developing a strong brand identity for your business is an extremely important factor in its success. Effective branding can help build your reputation, make you stand out from your competition and project your values to attract your ideal client.
If you want your business to be taken seriously, you need to take a serious look at your brand. In the overcrowded world of the Internet, your business must uniquely stand out from others in order to attract your ideal client. It’s not good enough to just be a different color in a sea of sameness, but to be memorable because you offer something others don’t.
Are you starting a business and are stressing over what to name it? Or do you have a business but the name just isn’t working and you are wondering if you should change it? Choosing the right business name is important because it can have a tremendous impact on whether your customers take your business seriously, view it as a successful entity or shy away from your brand entirely.
Branding your small business involves projecting a strong, consistent image throughout all of your marketing regardless of whether you are using online or traditional media. However a consistent online brand helps you maximize your brand presence, enabling potential customers to understand the value you provide to your clients. By projecting your business’s unique personality, you send a clear message about who you work with and what your business is all about.
Recently I wrote about the true value in your value proposition because small businesses need to understand what it is they offer and why their market needs it. And you really need to define your mission statement is so you can communicate it to your target audience. Now we need to turn our attention to creating a strong brand, one of your most valuable business assets.
Have you come up with a great name for your business or a service you offer? Did you have a great logo designed that is unique and memorable? Did you know that your name and logo are valuable assets of your business? Many businesses don’t understand the value of registering a trademark for your identifiable assets, but doing so allows you to protect your brand in the event someone infringes on your mark. The definition of a trademark from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. Trademarks identify a product, service, person […]
These three terms are often confused with one another, when in reality they are quite different. Is one more important than the others? Does every business have all three? There is a difference that dictates how each should fit into your marketing effort. Corporate identity is concerned with the visual aspects of a company’s presence. This includes your visual image such as logo, web site, and collateral. When you establish a corporate identity, you are trying to achieve an image that can be associated with your company to make it easy to remember you. A visual image makes your company more memorable. Brand identity is the total value proposition that a company makes to consumers. It may consist of features […]
Knowing What You Should and Should Not Do Yourself Entrepreneurs and independent professionals love to do it themselves. I know, I’m one of them. But coming to grips with what you can do yourself, what you should do yourself and what you should stay completely away from is a great learning experience that will benefit your business far better than learning how to execute the best direct marketing campaign. But many of us entrepreneurs and independent professionals also need to watch how much money we spend so we continue to have a business. But there are ways to cut costs while getting expert professional help. I have been given the opportunity to write a monthly column for a publication, and […]
