Branding. It’s a big deal in the business world today. No matter if you’re a big brand or a small brand, a new business or an existing business, you need a solid foundation to make it in a digital space.
Here at SSM Creative Co. we love our small businesses and providing insight into how you can build your brand as a fellow small business owner. We are accustomed to building brands specifically for small businesses and these are our top five tips to help you brand your business in a way that converts.
Highlight Your Unique Proposition
What is unique about your business? Before you can really dive into branding your small business, you should ask yourself: What skills, insights, and abilities make you different from your competitors?
Every business has that special ‘ingredient’ that makes them unique, so if you’re struggling to come up with what makes your business unique and stand out from the rest — then it may be time to re-frame how YOU perceive your business.
Example: SSM Creative Collective equips creatives and entrepreneurs with the tools to grow their business to do big things, while delivering meaningful brand and marketing experiences to businesses both big and small, providing personalized perspectives to help your business grow.
Mission & Vision Statement
Having a clear mission statement and vision for your business is crucial and a great starting point. However, many businesses fall short by not being specific about their clientele and niche. Your mission to simply be “the best” without first specifying why you are the best for your specific audience will fall short.
Make sure that you set up a clear vision for your business, down to the exact audience you want to attract. Creating a vision around your ideal client is crucial for success and will help you make the hard decisions later on.
Defining Values
Values are the defining principles that guide your business or your brand. Define what matters to you and what drives your business. To go more in-depth, you can define each of your brand or business values with a short description to help make it more meaningful to you.
Create a call-to-action item for each value that motivates you to stick to them each day.
Define Your Target Market/Audience
Clearly defining who you want your brand to reach is a building block to a solid brand and message. Who do you want to market your products and services to? Who do you offer these same products and services to?
Research your target audience and how they interact with businesses like yours. Find out what they like, what they value, what information they find pertinent, and who they are. These insights should carry over into all aspects of your business, from where you market your brand right down to the content you create.
Message & Content
Having already developed the earlier brand elements (unique value proposition, mission, vision, values, and target audience/market) crafting your content and messaging should be easy! Your content will always have your brand voice in mind within your messaging — whether that’s in the form of an elevator pitch, tagline, web page title, or social media copy.
The most important aspect is that it speaks to your specific audience in your personalized brand’s voice. Always make sure to add your own personal flair, but do your best to keep some professionalism intact.
Do you still have questions about branding your small business or what it takes to create an amazing brand? Contact SSM Creative Collective or comment with some of your ideas for building a brand.